Lost in You
by JennaBennett
Summary: Richard Castle is being held captive. His only thought is escape. Is there a reason why he isn't anxious for Beckett to come to his rescue? May come to contain spoilers for Season 4.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:**** This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter fic. I'm not entirely sure how long it will be at this stage, and the chapters will get longer as the story progresses. I also promise you that there will be more of Beckett as soon as I'm finished introducing the story and setting the scene. Let me know what you think! I'm a fan of feedback. **

Richard Castle groaned and stretched his fingers and toes. The appendages felt stiff and restricted, which he found to be somewhat odd so he fought off the remnants of deep slumber and slowly opened his bright blue eyes. Glancing down he stiffened. He was not rather uncomfortably perched napping at his chair in the Twelfth as he had assumed, but was bound ankles and wrists to a stiff, solid chair bolted into the cement. The sight startled him from his sleepy condition, he was most definitely awake now. Only one thought running through his mind – his partner, Detective Kate Beckett. He scanned his surroundings and was hesitantly relieved to find himself alone in the dimly lit room. Perhaps Beckett was safe and sound at home or work and not waking in another room in the same predicament. Castle ached for the first thought to be true, the alternative he just didn't want to consider. But, he had better do everything in his power to make sure that he was in this alone. He didn't want to alert whoever held him captive that he was conscious, but he needed to know if Beckett was nearby, just beyond the walls that encased him.

"Beckett!" he shouted, "Kate, Kate!" He waited, silence and a faint echo of his attempts his only reply. It looked like it was just him. Hopefully that meant Beckett was coming for him, whoever had done this was in for it, big time. He grinned somewhat at the thought, before his expression settled, serious and analytical. It was time to assess the situation. If this was because of his continued investigation of Beckett's mother's murder then he didn't have much of a chance. They had killed more powerful men than he without hesitation. He could only hope that someone else had it in for him, depressing as the thought may be. Although, if it were the figures responsible for Johanna Beckett's murder at least he might get some answers before he found his way to his premature grave. Answers that died with him would do nothing to help Beckett though, so was his life really the price he wanted to pay to satisfy his desire to know the story behind the tragedy? He thought not. So escape or rescue it was.

He tested the bonds that held him; they were secure and rather tight and uncomfortable now that he considered it. He curled and uncurled his fingers and toes, hoping to aid his circulation and relieve the pressure. He paused, an odd thought striking him, he was barefoot. Why on earth was he barefoot? What kind of abductor removes his victim's shoes? Or, had he been kidnapped barefoot, snatched from his loft while he slept? Oh god, Alexis. He struggled to remember that events that had culminated in this. Had he been taken from his home? Was his daughter safe? It had been a quiet day at the precinct, he'd placated Beckett with coffee (and winning conversation) as she'd struggled through paperwork. They hadn't even had a new case. He remembered hesitantly leaving the precinct early, Beckett still working, in order to make a dinner for his mother and Alexis. Naturally, he'd invited Beckett, who gave a noncommittal – I'll let you know in a couple of hours if I've gotten through this paperwork – response. That meant she might have called, and worried when he didn't answer and be on her way to rescue him as he sat here, trapped. Although, another part of his mind assured him that she hadn't wanted to refuse his offer outright to his face, and wouldn't call, would just give the excuse tomorrow that she had gotten caught up and lost track of time. He sighed, this wasn't really the appropriate time or place to be analysing if Beckett reciprocated his feelings.

He had shut his eyes, trying to remember, but as his thoughts distracted him from what was at hand, he felt it better he open them and try to assess the situation once more. He certainly wasn't going to escape just sitting round waiting to be rescued – not like it seemed he had much of a choice in the matter. He glanced around the room once more, noting that it was nondescript, plain walls, concrete floor, windows blackened out and a single door on the wall behind him. He returned his gaze to himself and gasped, his jaw dropped and shock rushed through him. No, this was too weird. He was never going to live it down. Beckett would claim it was his fault and that he had brought it upon himself. She would also kill him. Rescue was not an option, it was far too embarrassing. He needed to escape.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I'm amazed by the amount of people who have added this story to their alerts – thank you! It seems that long chapters aren't really my thing, but I'm working on it, so bare with me. Also, a little bit of constructive criticism never hurt anyone ;) **

Chapter Two

_Rescue was not an option, it was far too embarrassing. He needed to escape. _

Richard Castle was being held captive by a madwoman, not a mad_man_, a madwoman, and he was deeply, deeply concerned about his fate. If the outfit she'd clothed him in was any indication, this woman did not plan on releasing him anytime soon. There was no way Beckett could see him like this. He clenched his teeth and gazed back down at his attire. He was in boxers and a t-shirt, not all that unusual (especially if he had been snatched from his slumber at home), but the boxers weren't his, and for that matter, neither was the t-shirt. Not good, so not good. If the pattern on the boxers and the print on the shirt was any indication he had to get out before the madwomen came back; sitting round any longer was not an option. It was really too bad the chair was bolted to the floor; it was limiting him severely in his escape attempts. His eyes fell back to his outfit, bolted chair or not, he really had to be going.

At least the dreadful t-shirt had jogged his memory. He knew who held him captive now, he just didn't know what could, _would_ happen if he stayed here any longer. Even the thought of Beckett or the boys coming to rescue him as he sat helplessly, clothed in corny Valentine's Day style boxers covered in tiny red hearts, drew a groan from his lips. He would never live this down, that much was clear, and the faces photo-shopped and staring back at him from the t-shirt were not going to help. They were also the reason he needed to escape. The fact this madwoman had created a t-shirt with his face and hers edited into a heart with the words, _soul mates_ cursively transcribed beneath it, did not bode well for Richard Castle. The outfit made it blatantly obvious that this madwoman was going to steal his virtue – not that he really had all that much virtue left, but that really was an argument for a different day.

The fact a woman, and a woman alone, had managed to place him in this predicament was also innately embarrassing for Castle. If Beckett found out she would never let him forget it, and to make matters worse he would be the butt of every one of Ryan and Esposito's jokes. The precinct would be hell. For the moment, Richard Castle was not above admitting that he was a proud man, and his pride and ego would suffer immensely from the loss, if this situation ever got out. However, if _he_ was ever going to get out, he really needed to stop mulling on his wounded ego and think more like a cop. Or a writer – how would he write the escape? What was the story? He could recall details of its beginnings, now that the familiar face on the t-shirt had brought back his memory of the events transpiring after he had left the precinct…

"_Excuse me, excuse me, Sir." Castle had turned to see a women looking slightly apologetic on the sidewalk behind him. He flashed her a friendly smile. She probably just wanted an autograph and he was in no real rush, just casually strolling home, already a few blocks from the precinct. Seeing him stop and turn around, she continued, "It's my car, I have a flat tyre and I can change it myself. I don't mean to bother you, it's just that the spare is jammed in my trunk and I just can't seem to shift it. Would you be able to…" She trailed off as Castle interrupted her._

"_No problem, Ma'am" he grinned and started towards her, "Happy to be of service". _

"_Oh, thank you so much," she breathed, relief etching over her face. Castle took a moment to study her, she was middle aged, frumpy in appearance, with soft brown eyes that had a quiet determination set in them. He wondered if she had a family, the lines beginning on her face from the stress of raising children, teenagers. He eyes glanced at her hands, no wedding ring, and she was wringing her fingers, nervously it seemed. He jerked his thoughts from her and her story and ambled to the open trunk of her car. The street was basically empty save for a few parked cars, she was lucky he routinely walked this street; the thing was jammed rather tightly in the trunk. He grunted and moved further into the open trunk in an attempt to get a better grip on the stubborn tyre. _

"_My, it is jammed in rather well, isn't it," he begun, decidedly aiming for pleasant conversation with this stranger. He was about to continue, comment on the difficulty of having a car in the city, when he felt a sharp sting on the back of his neck. It felt like a bee had stung him and he hastened to get it off him, bringing a hand up to firmly slap his neck. With that he collapsed, forward into the trunk and the frumpy, middle-aged stranger didn't hesitate to stuff his legs indelicately into the trunk, slam it shut and drive away as the city spined on, into the night. _

Of course he'd made up the last part, he didn't remember anymore than the sharp sting to his neck, but he assumed he'd been drugged and his position leaning into the trunk made it easy for her to load him in and drive away. Without him conscious and struggling, it wouldn't have been too difficult for one, not all that petite, middle-aged woman to drag him into the room and position him like this on the chair. At the thought of what that one middle-aged madwoman intended to do him Castle shivered, a hiss breaking from his lips.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:**** Thanks for reading everyone, I really appreciate it. I hope you guys will stick with me, I've got some ideas about how I want this story to go and am working towards getting it there, but suggestions wouldn't go astray. Also, I'm been updating fairly regularly, but as I have to return to uni this week (which includes moving house & being somewhat internetless over coming weeks) it may get a little bit erratic. We'll see how it goes, just, fair warning & all that jazz. Hope you enjoy this chapter! **

Chapter Three

_At the thought of what that one middle-aged madwoman intended to do him Castle shivered, a hiss breaking from his lips._

Considering the alternative, Beckett rescuing him really wouldn't be such a bad thing. He didn't need his pride to get by, he had enough natural charisma to take it on the chin. In fact, he'd be mighty glad if Beckett and the boys swung by the rescue him right then and there. Funny, the door didn't burst open merely with the thought. Although, he was immensely relieved that it appeared Beckett was safe, he really would have appreciated having her there. It had been much more fun waking up cuffed beside her, tiger or no tiger. Plus, he was sick of being alone with his thoughts. He wanted out. He wanted out, _now. _Despite his best efforts, the power of positive thinking wasn't getting him anywhere. That was unfortunate. It was also unfortunate that sarcasm wasn't going to get him anywhere either. Shame.

Behind him, the noise of a stiff door opening interrupted his thoughts. He clenched his eyes shut for a moment, the mantra of, 'Please let it be Beckett, please let it be Beckett,' echoing through his conscious. He shifted and slowly lifted one eye open over his shoulder. It wasn't Beckett. He groaned internally and sought to mask the shudder that rippled through his body.

"Honey, I'm home!" the madwoman crooned. She was wearing a matching shirt and smiling adoringly at him. Unsurprisingly, Castle felt sick. The pit of his stomach erupted in a wave of nausea and he fought to control it. He surmised that his best chance of escape was to placate her, let her think she had the upper hand– ignoring the fact that she very much did have it. She approached him, still grinning sweetly at him and he plastered a matching grin on his face. It was just like a book signing, overtly polite and internally disinterested (and wishing Beckett would whisk him away to the precinct – anywhere). He could handle this.

"Hi. My hands are a little bit sore. If it's no trouble could you please loosen my wrists just a bit?" he pleaded, flashing her another fake smile and shrugging his shoulders as if to show his discomfort.

"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry, but I don't know if I can do that just yet. You see, we need to know each other a bit more, build the trust in our relationship," she paused, a glint in her eye, "But I could kiss them better if you like". He didn't like, he didn't like at all. But he had to convince her that he was on the same page. She had to believe that he trusted her. Surely, if she was already this delusional, it wouldn't be hard for her to be convinced that he felt the same way. Hell, in her delusion, he probably already did.

It saddened him to think that his relationship with Beckett was somewhat like this, he just kept slowly backing her into a corner until she caved and had no choice but to want him back. Surely this wasn't a metaphor for his pursuit of Beckett, the universe's revenge for his constant (but subtle) advances. It couldn't be likened to this, abduction, for crying out loud. Besides, Beckett wanted him back, or at least she hinted at it, and it was enough for now. Soft, salivary kisses brushing on his hands jolting him back to reality. Oh god. Now was certainly not the time to mull over mixed messages from Beckett. Now was the time to scream, slam his wrists into the woman's jaw and flee, but with his bonds still tauntingly secure that sequence of events eluded possibility. He substituted screaming with clearing his throat. If he managed to engage her in a conversation, she might stop her mouth's assault of his helpless hands.

"So, what's your name? I'm guessing you already know mine," he forced out through clenched teeth. It sounded strained, even to his ears; he was really going to have to work on the acting. Mother would not be impressed.

"You can call me Mrs Castle," she giggled into his ear.

"Okay," he drew out slowly. "Mrs Ca-aa-stle," he choked out, "do you have a first name?"

"Oh no, Mrs Castle will do just fine, Mr Castle. Unless you'd rather Mrs Richard Castle," she breathed her face still at his ear. Oh god no. He would not prefer that. Especially, not when he was reserving that name for someone else – a certain NYPD detective whose intervention he'd particularly appreciate in this moment.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Kate Beckett glanced at her pile of paperwork and sighed. She was actually pretty satisfied with the amount she'd managed to get done after Castle had left a couple of hours ago. She checked the clock, despite her blasé response to Castle's dinner invitation earlier, if the gurgling in the pit of stomach was anything to go by, she could really do with a solid meal. She dialled his number and brought her phone to her ear – dinner with Castle couldn't hurt. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the past couple of hours had been kind of boring without him and she tentatively noted that she kind of, sort of missed him. She groaned into the still ringing phone, she was becoming pathetic. The man had worked his way into her life, into practically _being_ her life and she was petrified to do anything about it. To make matters even worse, he wasn't answering his damn phone. He'd probably left it on silent in his study whilst he cooked dinner, it wouldn't be the first time. She could just show up. She wouldn't really be unannounced, he had invited her. Maybe, if she stopped and bought a bottle of wine on the way to the loft it wouldn't appear so rude to just show up on his doorstep. Besides, he was the one rudely not answering his phone. Having satisfactorily justified it to herself, Beckett rose and gathered her belongings, throwing a see you later over her shoulder to Ryan and Esposito.

She knocked on his door, trying to internally dismiss her nervousness at showing up virtually unannounced. He would be happy to see her, he was _always_ happy to see her. She was mostly always happy to see him for that matter. The thought brought a soft smile to her face and she knocked again, impatient cop in her not used to waiting for doors to be opened. She heard footsteps hurry towards the door and it opened to a reveal a petite young redhead.

"Detective Beckett," she smiled, looking somewhat confused, "where's Dad?" Beckett glanced back at her with a frozen expression.

"He's not here?" she mumbled somewhat perplexed. "He should be here". She bit down on her bottom lip, hard. "When did you last hear from him, Alexis?" the detective in her taking control.

"I, uh, this morning, he text to remind to be here for dinner. He was really excited to be cooking this new crazy dish, and I was a little apprehensive to try it," she chuckled, albeit a little nervously, at the memory. "I only got home about twenty minutes ago, I figured you guys must have gotten a really interesting case and he was distracted from making dinner. I was going to call him after I showered, but then you knocked on the door. Where is he, Kate? It can't be something bad, right?" her voice softened and her eyes pleaded with Beckett to reassure her. But she couldn't, she needed reassuring too. Where the hell was Richard Castle?


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: So, I'm posting another chapter today because I probably won't have the chance to do it tomorrow as I'll be spending much of the day driving – apparently typing and driving aren't mutually inclusive activities, who would have thought? Anyway, I'm slowly working on longer chapters. I'm curious to know, what are your thoughts on Alexis? I've always liked her, but her character has undergone a lot of development in Season 4 and I've noticed she tends to be painted in fics as anti-Caskett. Thanks for reading! **

Chapter Four

_Where the hell was Richard Castle?_

Beckett fought for composure. Despite the burning increase in her heart rate, she won. "Alright Alexis," she placed her hands on the girls shoulders as she spoke. "You know your Dad, he could be up to any number of ridiculous things. It's not worth worrying until we know for certain that there's something to worry about."

"Yeah," Alexis' eyes lit up briefly. "I mean, if he knew you were coming for dinner he's probably off organising some sort of outlandish surprise…" she broke away as Beckett's expression faltered slightly.

"Uh. Well, he did invite me, but I didn't really give the most decisive response. I tried to call, but I figured he wouldn't mind if I came, and…" she mentally chastised herself. She should have just said yes to his face. For a strong independent women, she sure could be weak at times. Pathetic. Really, really pathetic. She sighed. Alexis mirrored her.

"Yeah. He wouldn't have minded. Ecstatic is the term that springs to mind," she paused, her resolve slipping, the spark in her bright blue eyes dulling. "Not that it matters now. Where is he? Something isn't right, I just know it, I just…" she broke away, sighing again. Beckett couldn't take it any longer, watching Alexis Castle slowly begin to crumble in front of her was not the way to find him, Castle. The girl's father, her family and Beckett's – best friend, partner – the terms didn't even begin to encompass what he was to her, he was her_ person_ and she needed to know where he was, _now_.

"Okay, Alexis. Is there any evidence to suggest he's been back to the loft since leaving the precinct?" she turned the girl round and manoeuvred them both through the door, shutting it gently behind her. "Can you see anything he took with him this morning? Anything that wasn't here this morning, like groceries for that experimental dinner of his?"

"I'm not sure," Alexis took her hand and steered her towards the kitchen. Opening the fridge her expression dropped once again. "Ah, there's no new groceries. Or any less for that matter, like he's had a snack or anything." Beckett nodded briskly in acknowledgment, preparing to send the girl to her father's bedroom next, when a key turned in the lock and both women startled. "Thank goodness," Alexis exhaled and moved towards the door.

Beckett remained in the kitchen, she would let them have their moment, although the urge to run to him and wrap her fingers around his neck and never let go was overwhelming. She closed her eyes, taking in the imagined sensation, how he would grip her to him and lightly kiss the crown of her head. How she would slowly bring her lips to his and simply breathe each other in before moving to deepen the kiss. She was pulled from her thoughts, hell fantasies, as Alexis let out a disappointed moan. Oh god, was he hurt? Her eyes shot open and she was greeted with the sight of a second redhead entering the room.

"Hi kiddo's," she grinned as she swept in. "Detective Beckett, always a pleasure." She took in the expressions of her greeting party and the smile faltered. "What's wrong with you two?" she glanced around the room, "what has Richard done? Where is he? Was the food really that terrible? I was late for a reason you know." With that she chuckled and deposited her coat on the couch.

"Mart…" Beckett started as Alexis shouted rather than spoke –

"Gram!" Martha looked round in surprise confusion clouding her face.

"So not the food," she murmured. "What on earth is it now? Is Richard alright?" Alexis and Beckett looked at each other, not sure who should begin this time. Beckett almost didn't feel it was her place, who was she to the Castle family anyway? But she should be in cop mode, and cop mode meant taking control of the situation. It seemed Alexis read the hesitation in the detective's expression.

"Gram. When was the last time you heard from Dad?"

"This morning. Now will someone please tell what is going on?" The dramatic flair was lost from voice, only concern for her son echoing in her every word.

"No one's heard from him since he left the precinct and that was hours ago," Alexis admitted with a sigh.

"Oh. But if his dear detective is here," she winked at Beckett, "he's probably off organising some grand gesture or what not." She aimed for flippant, convincing she was not, worry still the overriding feature.

"He didn't know she was coming," Alexis interjected.

"Oh," Martha raised her eyebrows at the detective. "Well, let's just say he's going to be awfully disappointed to see he missed out on this surprise." Beckett couldn't help the blush that rose on her cheeks.

"He invited me," she added softly. "I just didn't exactly say an outright yes at the time."

"Nothing to worry about, detective," Martha winked again. "Apart from Richard's whereabouts at this hour that is," she frowned, extracted her phone from her handbag. "Can't hurt to try – again, I'm sure." Beckett forced a small smile at Martha's words. She internalised a groan, what if Castle was just pissed at her about something, she didn't think Alexis had tried to call him yet. He could just be off somewhere blowing off steam – on a date – anything, because of something she had said or done, or more likely a _lack_ of what she had said or done. She desperately hoped that was it, Castle was mad at her and she could simply bring her lips to his and fix it. He would be here and safe, and they would be happy. She was so used to holding back though, that even if he walked through the door in that instant her body would flood with relief and she would remain rooted to the spot unable to casually throw her arms around him. She pulled from her thoughts at Martha's voice, "Richard, darling. We're all at home waiting to try this eccentric meal of yours. A certain NYPD detective has even stopped by to join us and I know you wouldn't want us to send her home unfed. Hurry home."

X-X-X-X-X-X

The madwoman – who he certainly was not going to refer to as Mrs Castle, in his mind anyway – was crooning over him, mumbling some nonsense about fate, true love and soul mates. Castle fought for at least the semblance of paying attention. His stomach grumbled, it seemed the sinking feeling in the pit of it had not completely depleted his appetite. The madwoman trailed off midsentence and looked down at her captive.

"Oh honey, you must be hungry. I'm being a terrible fiancé," she giggled as she admonished herself. "No, no, this won't do. Wait here," she chuckled again, the sound was wretched, like the cackle of a witch. With that she brushed her hand along his jaw and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "I'll be back in a minute, baby." She waltzed from the room and Castle let out a long moan. He fell into silence, revelling in it. Never had the quiet stillness been as breathtaking as it was now. He needed to leave before this delusion progressed, _fiancé_, seriously?

After minutes – that felt closer to seconds than an eternity – had passed she was back. In her arms, a picnic basket, overflowing with candles and food. She placed it on the ground, grinned at him and turned quickly from the room once again. She was back in a matter of seconds, dragging an ugly faded-floral armchair behind her. She situated it opposite him, so close that he knew their knees would be brushing the moment she sat down. He was proved right as she sat, invading his personal space once again. She pulled the candles from the basket and gently placed them on the floor surrounding them, lighting each as she did. The soft glow the candles emitted made the whole experience seem even creepier to Castle. Her face was basked in their eerie glow, and it shadowed her expressions, somehow enhancing the lovesick look on her face twofold. He did his best to control the shudder that emitted from him. Somehow, this was the least romantic dinner ever, and he was forever going to shudder at the thought of a candlelit dinner. The only place he could tolerate to think of candles was surrounding Beckett's bath, as she slipped into it, with a glass of red wine and him at her side, reading one of his novels together. Now that was a fantasy where he wanted candlelight, where that flicker of candlelight would only serve to make Beckett more enchanting. The likelihood of that fantasy was slipping further from his hands with each moment he spent captive at the power of this madwoman.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:**** Okay guys, this really is the last chapter before I'm without the internet for a couple of days. I might get the chance to use it at uni tomorrow, but it really depends if I've done anything on the story before then – which may not be all that likely. I apologise in advance for the delay. I really appreciate everyone who's added this story to their alerts/favourites – thank you all for reading! Please take the time to review. **

Chapter Five

_The likelihood of that fantasy was slipping further from his hands with each moment he spent captive at the power of this madwoman._

The madwoman was carefully extracting a container of spaghetti from the picnic basket on her lap. She returned the basket to the floor and opened the container, enthusiastically – and somewhat savagely in Castle's opinion – stabbing a chunk, before holding it up to Castle.

"Here comes the aeroplane," she crooned. Castle briefly considered the likelihood of it being poisoned before he opened his mouth and accepted it. He mentally rolled his eyes, Beckett style. The only thing it was likely to be poisoned with was Viagra, this whole experience was insane. He would never joke about being ruggedly handsome again, apparently, it wasn't to his advantage. Not the asset he once thought it was, if this brief – he hoped – stint in captivity taught him anything, it was that for sure. Whilst he'd been lost in thought the madwoman had loaded another forkful of spaghetti was thrusting it gracelessly towards him. If it had been Beckett, she would have made it sexy, at the thought of Beckett feeding him a romantic meal his stomach fluttered. If only she had agreed to dinner tonight, he could be there with her now, sensually feeding one another. That would be the heaven to the hell he was currently in. Then again, that would be his idea of heaven under any circumstance. After this little stint in captivity was over he'd have to work a lot harder at making fantasy a reality, the sheer number of fantasies that he had these days were making it increasingly difficult to concentrate on reality. Of course, they were all about Beckett, long gone were the days when another woman even came close to entering his mind. It was reserved for her, and her alone (as was his heart, his body, his bed, _him_ – it was all for her, whenever she chose to collect it). He struggled back into the present, pulling his mind away from his detective and back to slow chewing the mush in his mouth.

"Er," he cleared his throat before continuing. "Did you make this?" He tried to plaster on another fake grin, he hoped it didn't look as insincere as it felt.

"Yes, sweetie," she blushed. "Do you like it? I made it _just_ for you?" He nodded. When he got home he was going to have to get his mother to give him some acting lessons, he didn't think he was being all that convincing, but she beamed in response so he tried to push his luck.

"Is there any chance I could use the bathroom? I'm busting," he admitted somewhat sullenly. He wasn't really in dire need for a toilet but it couldn't hurt to re-examine his escape options. She frowned slightly in response, and cocked her head, apparently thinking, gauging the level of trust that existed in their "relationship". She shook her head ardently.

"After dessert," she asserted. "I have a special romantic dinner planned and I don't want any interruptions," she hissed. Oh god, she was positively unstable Castle concluded – not that it wasn't already evident from this whole situation.

"Oh okay. That sounds nice," his smile was more of a grimace. "What's for dessert?"

"You mean other than me?" she purred and Castle was tempted to bring up the contents of his stomach. He struggled against the sensation, before he continued, surprised his voice was steady under the circumstances. He decided to ignore her suggestion somewhat.

"Did you bake? You seem like you'd be a good baker? He replied glibly. In a way she did, apart from the insanity, she had the temperament of a woman Castle could see being content simply spending the days baking and caring for her family. The insanity was a pretty daunting character flaw though.

"Oh sweetheart, of course I baked for you. But first, I have a fortune cookie for you. Would you like me to read you your fortune?" Castle really didn't, but saying no to this woman wasn't an option he currently had.

"Of course," he flashed a winning Richard Castle grin, the one he reserved for public events, only those who knew him could see the missing spark of genuineness. With that she reached for the picnic basket and withdrew an oversized fortune cookie.

"I'm excited to know what the future holds for us, baby," she said with a breathy chuckle. She cracked the cookie in half and extracted the scrap of paper. "It says…" she paused for dramatic effect. Castle tried to school his expression into excitement. "…that a new love will bring renewed happiness and a bright future." She smirked. "It's like it was written about us, how perfect is that!"

"Perfect," Castle echoed hollowly. At that she beamed.

"Oh look, there's another cookie in that basket, it must be for me, I wonder what it says!" She fished out the second cookie, cracked it open slowly and broke into the biggest grin Castle had seen so far. "Baby," she breathed. "This is so romantic, yes, oh yes!" With that she pulled a cheesy engagement ring and a fortune with the words, _Marry Me_ scrawled across it. "I mean I was hinting at it before when I slipped and called you my fiancé, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect you to propose tonight, it's just so magical!" She was ecstatic, smile stretched from cheek-to-cheek, eyes glowing. Castle didn't know what to say, she seemed so satisfied with this delusion, he was worried if he said the wrong thing it would jolt her back to reality and she would lash out at him. In this delusion he was safe, at least physically, for now.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Martha placed her phone back into her handbag with a sigh. Kate barely managed to stop her sigh of relief; at least Castle wasn't just ignoring her. She promptly admonished herself – that probably meant he was in actual danger and that was never a good thing. Meanwhile Martha was facing a serious internal debate, she knew that Richard had still been investigating Kate's mother's death, but if she said anything to the detective, it could compromise their relationship and Richard would be furious. But what if he was in real danger? Perhaps she should wait to see if it appeared to be connected, then she would show Beckett everything. In the end, her son's life was worth more than his happiness, wasn't it? She wasn't so sure.

Beckett glanced across to Martha who looked conflicted. She found it odd for the usually so flamboyantly confident woman. She knew she had to find Castle or this family would fall apart – and, in that instead she knew that she counted herself as part of the family. He had wormed his way into her life over the past four years and it appeared she was inherently lodged in his as well. The worried women before her were her family and they had to find the man who held them all together before it was too late. Beckett bit her bottom lip, hard. She tasted blood, but the pain jolted her out of her thoughts and into the present.

"Right, so we've looked round the loft. It doesn't look like he's been here since the precinct. Alexis, do you want to double check his bedroom?" The girl nodded, as she reached the entryway to his room, she threw over her shoulder –

"Beckett. Can you come? I don't want to miss anything. Plus, I don't really remember what he had on when he left for the precinct," she seemed slightly hesitant in her request, but Beckett had no scruples acceding to it. That was, until she entered his room, his sanctuary. Beckett had always expected to be more naked the first time she crossed the threshold to his room. She had also anticipated it would be with his lips glued to hers and his hands moving hungrily across her body. However, as she stepped into his room with his teenage daughter was so not the time to be bringing that up. She took in the room and was kind of relieved to find that she_ liked_ it, she almost giggled at the thought. Castle would be glad to hear that. She could mess with him in that flirty way of hers and bring it up sometime soon. It would make for a special of _their_ moments, a joke wrapped in truth complete with raised eyebrows and sexual innuendos.

"So, notice anything, Alexis?" she asked the girl beside her who shrugged then shook her head. "Me neither," Beckett sighed. "I'll call the boys," she frowned. "Crap, I should've done that straight away. I'm sorry Alexis." The girl shook her head once again.

"You were worried, I get it. Are you going to go to the station? Can I come with you? Please," her voice grew smaller with each word. In front of her Beckett saw the vulnerable daughter, a little girl lost, not the ferocious young woman who had confronted her outside the bank on the day of the hostage situation. She wasn't angry with Beckett for this, which confused Beckett somewhat. She had sort of been expecting Alexis to slip into that angry façade where she appeared to blame Beckett for every risky situation that her father encountered. To be fair enough, Beckett thought it a valid point, she was every bit – if not more – responsible for the trouble that Castle found himself in. Beckett found herself nodding, pointedly.

"Of course, Alexis. Can't hurt to have a Castle in on the investigation, it's worked well in the past," her lame attempt at a joke fell flat, although Alexis lips turned up ever so slightly. Beckett sighed once more, it was going to be a long night. She desperately hoped that Castle would just spring through the door with a stupid excuse about meeting a fascinating stranger, or finding a new toy shop and losing track of time – anything. He would be greeted by three mad women whose anger would melt away instantaneously at having his infectious energy back in their presence. The evening would be salvaged, and life would go on. That was definitely the best case scenario. But the door didn't burst open and the women in the house didn't light up with relieved smiles.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:**** Thanks for sticking with me. I kind of feel like this story is progressing really slowly as there's still so many twists and turns and plot developments that I want to chuck in there, but I don't want to rush. Hence, I'm struggling with pacing it a little, but hopefully the progression will be natural enough. I managed to pull this chapter together in a break at uni so I apologise if it's a little poorly written in comparison to the others as it was a lot more rushed. Nonetheless, happy reading, and please review! **

Chapter Six

_But the door didn't burst open and the women in the house didn't light up with relieved smiles._

Beckett pulled her phone from her pocket, dialled Esposito and drew it to her ear. "Espo, we've got a problem. I'm at Castle's, and…"

"Ooh, at Castle's are we?" he interrupted, his tone light, teasing.

"Listen!" Beckett hissed, and Esposito knew better than to ignore her, with the venom dripping from that one word alone.

"Problem, right, sorry. What's up boss?"

"Castle's missing. We… just, he never came home from the precinct." Esposito echoed her early hiss. His jaw clenched.

"Listen Beckett, I'll call Ryan. We'll meet you at the precinct in twenty. Don't worry, we'll figure it out," he ground out, all the while desperately hoping that he hadn't just lied through his teeth. Castle was by now an integrate part of their team. It wasn't that they needed him, they _wanted_ him and that was pivotal.

Beckett turned to Alexis, took her hand gently coaxing her from her father's room. "Let's go. The boys will meet us at the precinct." Alexis just nodded in response, tangling her fingers with Beckett's and giving them a quick squeeze before she dropped them. Little did they know, that would be their last moment of quiet stillness before the panic really set in.

The walk to Beckett's cruiser was filled with Alexis spinning wild theories, reminiscent of her father.

"Maybe he really did get involved in some CIA conspiracy he wasn't meant to. God, that would be like a dream come true…. He could have met someone, got caught up in the moment, you know?" With that she glanced at Beckett who was doing all she could not to glower. It was _possible_, but that didn't make it remotely likely. Alexis blushed. "No, definitely not that last one. I think he's all set there," she murmured. Beckett was glad when they reached the car, effectively grounding the conversation to a halt.

She drove with no regard for the law. She was after all, a cop, and above the law in some ways. Not that she really believed that last statement, just desperate times call for desperate measures and all that. She blasted the siren, ran every red light and made it to the precinct in half the time it normally took. As she walked into the elevator, Alexis meeting her rapid pace step-for-step, the first thought that sprung to mind was that she was really going to need a coffee. The wave of grief that hit her with that thought was overwhelming. Coffee meant Castle, simple as that. She needed him to be safe. She needed him to come back. As much as she loved her job, she hated it when Richard Castle was absent – even though half the time she was the one that instigated his absence. An instigation that was swiftly followed by deep regret in most circumstances. Nothing could happen to him, she just couldn't handle it. She needed to talk to him, and she needed it _now_. The elevator dinged, singling their arrival at the homicide department. She and Alexis resumed their quick pace, reaching Beckett's desk in a matter of seconds. Alexis sighed and sat in her father's seat, her face in her hands. Beckett reached into her drawer and pulled out a whiteboard marker.

"Here Alexis, we need to start a timeline. Do you want to do it? He left here around 4pm. I've just got to go get something really quickly. Sorry, I'll be right back." The girl lifted her face from her hands, nodded briskly and accepted the outstretched marker. Beckett turned and took off for the bathroom, only intense concentration on each and every step preventing her from breaking into a run. She didn't want to alarm Alexis more than necessary, but her resolve was crumbling. She made it to the bathroom, quickly inspected it to ensure it was empty and promptly withdrew her phone – she was going to talk to him now, whether he could hear it or not.

A few minutes after she entered the bathroom, she left it, her calm-and-in-control façade wavering just a bit. She was greeted by Alexis, Ryan and Esposito hard at work, constructing the timeline. They were working on the murder-board, as they always did. God, Beckett thought, this wasn't even their case – they weren't investigating a homicide, were they? No, they couldn't be. She wouldn't allow it to be a possibility, as real as it may be.

"Hey boss," Ryan nodded looking up, concern etched on his face, mingling with exhaustion. "This is all we've got so far," he gestured at the board. "It's not much".

"Okay. Put a trace on his phone," her expression hardened as she spoke. It was time to push aside her emotions and work, after all, that was what she best at – too good if you asked those who cared for her most.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Fantastic. So now he was most definitely fake engaged to a lunatic. A lunatic who had him at her every whim. Seriously, fantastic. He was doomed, and not just in the melodramatic overstated way. She had planted an overzealous kiss on each of his cheeks at the "proposal", and he had simply fought to maintain composure. Somehow, he didn't think gagging would improve his situation in any capacity. Although, now that dinner and dessert – internal shudder seemed necessary at the thought of that – seemed to be wrapping up, he thought he'd push his luck with escape once again.

"Oh my fiancé," – it had less of a sting to it than Mrs Castle – he smiled with so many teeth that he was sure it would look inherently creepy to anyone else who saw it. "I really do need to use a toilet, if that is at all possible. Otherwise, I might be prone to have a little accident rather soon." He injected another fake smile and crushed his knees together like he was trying to cross his legs (the ankle bindings of course negated that action). She frowned then sighed.

"Fine, just give me a moment to take some necessary precautions," she leant forward, kissing his cheek slowly once more before standing and leaving the room. She back in a matter of minutes, with a knife in one hand and a shot gun in the other. If that didn't scream I trust you my fake fiancé then Castle didn't know what did. He knew that he wrists were bound tightly, but the fact she had to cut through them with a massive knife as opposed to untie them assured Castle that struggling to extricate himself would have gotten him nothing except rope burn.

After cutting him free, she pointed the shot gun at his head. "Behave, or we'll both lose". Castle believed her. As much as she loved him in this delusion, she wouldn't hesitate to shot him if he tried to leave _her_. That kind of betrayal was not an acceptable turn for this little fantasy to take. He briefly wondered if he should attempt to overpower her and gain control of the gun. But his risk management was mostly intact and he assessed that particular plan could end very badly for him. He could always attempt it next time he was allowed this privilege. But for now, the risk was too much, there were other ways of escape than a physical fight with an armed woman – surely. Alexis would be worried, she would call Beckett who would show up to rescue him any minute now. He wished he'd somehow been aware enough to leave some clues as to where he was – not that he even knew. Besides, Alexis and Beckett were reason enough not to engage this woman in a bloody conflict. He shuddered to picture them storming in to rescue him and finding him bled out from a bullet wound, dying or dead on this cold concrete floor. His best chance for escape would be when the armed madwoman was absent from his forsaken room. She had to leave to shower or sleep or something as some stage.

He rose, a little unsteadily, his joints creaking – being bound to a chair for hours on end did not make him feel particularly youthful. The madwoman kept the gun pointed firmly at the base of his skull.

"C'mon honey, it's just out the door. No mischief now," she purred, a stark contrast to her serious expression. Opening the door, Richard Castle found himself in what appeared to be an abandoned office building of sorts. He was standing at the end of a bare corridor, a myriad of doors lining the walls. "Third one on the left," she intoned, nudging him forward with the barrel of the gun.

As he started towards it, he noticed the door to his right was ajar and strewn across the table lay his clothes. Before he'd thought to take another step, the sound of music filled the air. It was his ringtone, not only that, it was the ringtone he'd reserved for Beckett. His heart swelled, she was thinking of him, whether or not she knew to look for him, she was thinking of him. Even if it was just a body drop, it didn't matter. It was the assurance that he needed that Beckett would figure it out and come for him. She always did, in the end. Even if it was simply by shutting him out for three months and then showing up at his book signing. It might take some time, but she would come. He had to believe it.

"That's my phone. Can I answer it? Bec-my family, might be anxious," he tried to sound somewhat light-hearted, but the pleading nature of the request was evident.

"No, honey, you need the bathroom _right now_, remember?" It was more of a statement then a question. Castle sighed, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Right," and as he walked toward the bathroom, the call ended, the ringtone faded away as did his chance to speak to the woman he adored. He just hoped it wasn't his last.

"In there," she gestured at the door with the gun. "You have sixty seconds before I join you." Castle hurried into the room, to find it contained one cubical which was tragically window-less. He relieved himself quickly, washing his hands, grunting as he gingerly fingered his red, swollen wrists. They were going to be sore for a couple of days. Perhaps, if he put up a fuss when she retied them, he'd manage to sway it so they were bound a heck of a lot looser.

When he returned to the corridor she was frowning, his phone in her hand. "You've got a message from your mother, and one from that stupid cop. The Nikki Heat one who follows you round like a lovesick fool," she snorted. Castle didn't think it was the time to correct her – that he was the hopeless lovesick puppy who followed Beckett everywhere. She continued, a glint in her eye, "but, if you behave I'll let you listen to them. Back to your chair, darling." He was beginning to get sick of all these affectionate endearments that she was bestowing on him. He shrugged it off and headed back down the hall, the butt of the gun once again resting on his head.

After she'd resecured his bindings, with about the same enthusiasm, she drew up her chair and called his voicemail, turning the speaker on. Castle listened to his mother's message and barely had time to process his excitement about the fact his dear detective was at his home before her voice echoed through the dull room, dripping with despair.

"Castle, I… Rick. I need you to come home. You're my family. You hear me, you, Alexis, Martha, Lanie and the boys – you're my family – we're your family and we need you here. I need you, so much Rick. There's so much left unsaid. It can't end like this. It can't. You know that I feel the same way, right? I'm not going to say it over the phone, I'm going to say it to your face. I remember when I was shot. I heard you, and you need to know I feel the same way. That's all. Oh, and don't worry about Alexis. She's safe. She's here at the precinct helping the boys & I bring you home…One more thing, always." Castle wished he could replay the message over and over again. Her tone as she spoke revealed as much as her words did, she sounded desperate, hungry and at the same time reassuring – a fierce promise that she would find him and bring him home.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:**** Only a short chapter today. I promised myself I wouldn't write whilst I was literally in a lecture, but it's only day two and I've already blown that one. My bad. If I don't manage to get an update up tomorrow there should be one the next day. Clearly I'm super committed to my studies and all that. Also, the lecture I wrote this is in? - Literary Criticism - on that note, please review! **

Chapter Seven

_Her tone as she spoke revealed as much as her words did, she sounded desperate, hungry and at the same time reassuring – a fierce promise that she would find him and bring him home._

For the first time in this bizarre nightmare he was blissfully happy. The madwomen, however, was evidently not. She growled, angry and possessive.

"She's not your family – I am!" Her eyes were slits as she spoke, her voice low and controlled. She was definitely not satisfied by these turn of events, Castle knew he would have to mask his abundant joy, and quickly.

"Er, family as in sister. She's like my sister…" He spoke softly, entreating her to believe him, all the while his mind screaming his objection – that she was the love of his life and he wouldn't deny it. He really didn't want to deny, but he also wanted – _desperately_ – to get home to her as she'd pleaded and the likelihood of that increased only if he kept the madwoman holding him captive content. It broke him to deny the reality that Beckett's emotionally charged phone call wasn't the best thing he'd ever heard, and the words weren't absolute truth.

"What did she mean about remembering what you said when she was shot? It sounded significant…" Castle flicked his gaze to hers to find her brow furrowed in fierce anger. "There should be no secrets between us, honey. What was she on about?" That was a question in Castle's mind as well. Of course he understood literally what Beckett had meant, that she recalled his heartbroken plea as she had been shot to not leave him and that he loved her, but he wondered if it meant she'd never forgotten. That thought stung somewhat, the memory of her words from the hospital – _maybe some things aren't worth remembering _– running through his head. Bitterness clouded his conscious at the thought. Somehow, he knew with certainty running deep within him that if he weren't to make it home from this encounter, Beckett would never forgive herself for the wasted time and fake forgetfulness, and that was reason enough to not begrudge her for it. If she would regret not taking the plunge with him if she never had the chance, then he shouldn't regret the wasted time if they _did_ get the chance. The chance to be with Beckett was worth a hell of a lot more than his bitterness over her secret. He wondered how she would react to his own secret of his continued investigation into her mother's murder. That could be the crux of whether or not they truly got their chance, and to be honest he still didn't know what to do. All he wanted to do was protect her and that seemed easier if she was in the dark. However, Beckett was not a woman to be grateful for considerate protection no matter the source. Something would have to be done about these secrets, but now was not the time. It was the time to calm the increasing spark of anger and jealousy that was evident on the face of the madwoman holding him captive. He drew his mind back to the conversation at hand, and the question that she had no right to ask – it belonged to him and Beckett. Nonetheless, he had to form a coherent response.

"When she got shot, I told her to be brave and hang on. It's just a little brother-sister thing between us. She's my friend. We just look out for each other is all, she must be worried." That was a half-truth mixed with a significant understatement. Plus, his relationship with Becket was _nothing_ like siblings, there was far too much sexual innuendo for that to be remotely possible.

"I don't like it," she drew out slowly, her jaw clenched. "It's over, okay? You must promise me that you'll never see her again. There will be no communication between the two of you. Swear to it?" There was nothing under heaven or earth that could persuade Richard Castle to agree to that – unless of course in was in direct correlation with Beckett's life. Hence, he did the only thing he could think of, childish as it may be, he crossed his fingers tightly behind his back and uttered –

"I swear." She seemed satisfied with that.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Tracing Castle's phone proved futile. There were no outgoing calls since he'd left the precinct. The only ingoing ones had come from Beckett and Martha. They were all on edge and the sense of frustration was overwhelming.

"We're going to have to try create a timeline of exactly what he did after he left the precinct," Beckett muttered, mostly to herself. "So, what on earth did he do?"

"He was on foot, right?" Alexis' voice probed into her thinking out loud.

"Yeah, unless he hailed a cab. We should check that. Ryan, Espo, run the security footage from out the front of the precinct, we'll be able to see which was he headed, and hopefully it he was on foot."

"Well, I was thinking," Alexis added, "that we might be able to literally retrace his steps if he was walking back to the loft. I'm pretty sure I know the route he would take."

"That's pretty brilliant, Alexis," Beckett attempted a smile. "Guys?"

"Working on it boss," they answered in unison. Under ordinary circumstances it would have been cute, Castle would have ribbed them severely for it. Ryan had the footage up and was hastily scrawling to the appropriate time, once he reached it, he played it for them. Beckett's heart jumped to her throat as she watched Castle chuck a friendly goodbye over his shoulder to the officer stationed at the door. His pace was relaxed, a casual smile gracing his features. She missed that smile, it had been less than a day and she already missed his damn smile. It wasn't even the one he reserved for her; it was just the friendly one he threw to near-strangers. Not that she could identify his individual smiles or anything. She was a detective, it was just good observation skills, the training kicking into overdrive – it didn't mean anything. Except it did, it meant everything. She wasn't acquainted so intimately with anyone else's individual smiles almost as well as her own, just his.

"He hasn't hailed a cab, and he's walking off in the general direction of the loft. I think we can assume he walked, or at least started out walking, right?" Alexis stated, tacking a question on the end, just to make sure the detectives surrounding her agreed with her assumption.

"Looks that way," Beckett paused, mentally mapping their next move. "Alexis and I will head out, walk round a little, see if there's anything we can pick up on. Uh…" She glanced over at Alexis, not sure she wanted her to hear the next part. "…Ryan, Espo, can you look into Castle's financials? See if there's anything suspicious over the past few weeks that may have gotten him into strife." She turned back to Alexis. "Not that I suspect him of _anything_, just he's not exactly broke, people could try take advantage of that. Just see if you can find anything," she added to the boys. They nodded in agreement and acceptance of the reason Beckett had offered Alexis.

"I get it, you're just trying to do your jobs. I don't care. Do whatever. Do anything that helps figure out where the heck my Dad is. I'm glad he has you guys to fight for him," Alexis provided with a weak smile.

"We're glad we have him too," Beckett echoed softly, without fully realising what she'd said. Esposito cleared his throat and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"We'll get him back, Becks. We will," he added, his tone low, loaded with the emotion behind the words. Beckett gave a gentle nod of reluctant acceptance and squeezed the hand that Esposito had laid on her. With that, he gently withdrew his hand and nudged her towards Alexis. "Go. Detect."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:**** Thanks to everyone who has added this story to alerts and favourites, I'm a little astounded by the number of you. It's awesome. I'm hoping you're enjoying reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I feel like the pace of this story is moving really slowly but I'll be working towards resolving it within the next couple of chapters (I think). Let me know what you think! **

Chapter Eight

_With that, he gently withdrew his hand and nudged her towards Alexis. "Go. Detect."_

Beckett and Alexis were hit with an overwhelming sense of frustration as they stood in the precinct elevator waiting for it to slowly descend.

"C'mon, c'mon," Alexis mumbled over and over again under her breath. Beckett settled for impatiently tapping her hand against the wall, willing it go faster. Neither women were met with success for their efforts, the elevator continued to function at the same tedious pace it had for many years. Funnily enough, Beckett had never noticed it so acutely as she did during this trip. It was _painfully_ slow, literally. She was filled with an increasing dull ache in her heart that – if the expression on Alexis' face was any indication – meant that the feeling was mirrored in the girl. Finally the elevator reached their desired floor and contrary to her feelings during the descent, Beckett was almost hesitant to step into the lobby and what fate they might discover had befallen her partner. On the other hand, Alexis nearly tripped in her haste to get through the opening doors. Beckett changed her tack, pushed her hesitation aside and plunged after Alexis, into the lobby and out onto the street.

As they attempted to retrace Castle's route, Beckett was reminded that Alexis was every bit her father's daughter. She had a penchant for picking up on the little details that could make or break a case. Beckett was shocked to find that in her own way, Alexis reminded her of herself somewhat as well – in a more tangible way than just the connection to the man they loved. Alexis was fiercely determined and somewhat stubborn. She also had a knack for detecting; she noticed the nuances of human behaviour. Beckett couldn't help but wonder if she had children with Castle would they resemble Alexis? Oh god, the inappropriate timing of her thoughts wasn't lost on her. The day Castle is missing is the day she really chooses to mull over the future. She understood the basis behind it though, the thought of never getting the chance to be with him forcing her to confront the idealised future with him. She really needed to change her reality, the thoughts of forever with Castle taunting her whilst the actuality of it seemed to move further away.

Alexis jolted to a stop beside her and Beckett froze, trying to ascertain what small but significant detail she had obviously noticed.

"There," Alexis pointed. They had just walked past a small Laundromat and there was a video camera mounted on the back wall. It had a clear view of the inside of the establishment, and if Alexis was right, a not too obstructed view of the sidewalk out the front.

"Let's hope he stuck to this side of the road," Beckett mused, before calling Ryan and Esposito and ensuring that they contacted the owner and secured the footage. Whilst Beckett was on the phone, Alexis had wandered further down the street. She waved wildly, procuring Beckett's attention and gestured to an ATM on the opposite side of the street.

"Another camera maybe," she mouthed. Beckett nodded and gave her a thumbs up – which seemed cheesy, contrite and somewhat out of character, but given the circumstances she didn't fully feel like herself.

Being city streets, there were masses of different bits and pieces of things on the sidewalk and in the gutter. However, there was nothing that obviously screamed _Richard Castle murdered_, like a pool of blood or signs of a struggle. Obviously he would have struggled, unless it had been someone he knew. But knowing Castle, who would wish him harm? Other than Beckett herself during his innately annoying moments. Even those were fewer and further between these days, now she found those moments oddly endearing. This wasn't such a shock; love has a funny way of helping you accept – not merely overlook – the flaws of the object of your affection. If Beckett was honest with herself, she was smitten, head over heels in love Richard Castle. The only thing that annoyed her about him in this moment was the fact he wasn't there. He was…somewhere, _still alive _she willed it to be truth, and hopefully dwelling on her as much as she was dwelling on him.

They continued to scour Castle's route and found only one other camera before the one in the lobby at the loft, both of which Beckett ordered the boys to procure. With that, she and Alexis walked back to the precinct, taking a slightly varied route, just to be sure.

As they made their way back into the homicide department to see what the boys had gotten from the security footage Beckett's phone burst to life and the caller ID startled her momentarily and she froze. Alexis' gasp beside her jolted her back to reality and she answered the call without further hesitation.

"Castle?"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Castle let out a yawn. As uncomfortable as he was, the emotional trauma in conjunction with the evident drugging he had received earlier today was exhausting. He just wanted the madwoman to leave for night so he could concentrate on escaping and get home to bed. His warm, comfortable bed, the only addition to the heavenly image – his detective snuggled in beside him, a content smile on her lips. She'd practically given him permission to fantasize about her, and this was the fantasy that sprung to mind – blissful sleep wrapped up tightly in one another. That was what Castle wanted more than anything else in that moment. He yawned again, trying to make his drained demeanour obvious to the madwoman. The conversation had fizzled, and he used the term conversation lightly in the first place. She seemed to pick up on his not exactly covert hints. She pulled a small blanket from the bottom of the picnic basket and draped in across his practically bare legs.

"Time for bed, darling. Sit tight and I'll be back first thing in the morning with a very special surprise for you. Well, for _us_, really," she clarified – not that it cleared anything up from Castle's perspective, none of this insanity was for _him_. With that, she gave another of her sloppy cheek kisses that Castle was becoming all too well aquatinted with for his liking and exited. He was left alone in the sullen room, candles still eerily burning. He hadn't planned on actually sleeping, but the excitement of day along with the drugging had left him dopey and docile. Moments after the madwoman left, the adrenalin that had been powering him subsided and he drifted into a fitful sleep. His last thoughts were that he would escape after taking a quick nap to recharge.

He dreamed of Beckett, it wasn't out of the ordinary, she often frequented his dreams. This was different though, he was more desperate for her, it wasn't the usual content dream of dating then marrying her, all he wanted was to ravish her. But, despite his best efforts, he couldn't find dream-Beckett anywhere; she was missing when he wanted her the most. Consequently, his dream provided little respite and he tried to pull himself away from it and back to consciousness several times over the course of the night, without tangible success. At one stage, he pried an eye open to a blurry image of his madwoman captor creepily watching him sleep. He shrugged his mind clear of it, convinced it was a part of his dream, he cried out for Beckett before lapsing back into a deeper sleep.

Little did he know that the image of the madwoman watching him sleep was not a fragmented part of his dream. She had returned mere hours after leaving, just to watch over her beloved's sleeping frame. She was not amused by the picture before her. More than once as her lover slept he called out another woman's name – Beckett – over and over again, his tone dripping with desire. The only variation of this was a pitiful, Kate, he murmured just once, with a sigh on his lips. The madwoman was not happy to say the least. She had specifically asked him to drop the Kate Beckett thing and he had sworn to her that he would. But obviously something was going on between Richard Castle and his muse and she was intending on doing something about it.

She left Castle to his fitful slumber and drove several miles from the abandoned office building. She'd seen enough CSI, she knew how it was done, how to evade the stupid cops. She was obviously proficient at it. After all, she stolen Richard Castle from the street with ease and now he was at her every beck and call. He was all hers, she greedily considered, elated at the thought. She drove to a rather derelict street, deep within the city and dug around in her bag for Castle's phone. She withdrew it, found the number she was seeking and dialled, pressing the phone to her ear with a menacing –

"Back off!"


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:**** So, yesterday I chose going to the beach with one of my best friends over updating. Personally, I feel I made the right decision. In an attempt to make up for it, this is one of my longer chapters so far. Also, special thanks to White Pawn for your story ideas, as you can see from where this chapter is headed, I like them! Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed and alerted – keep 'em coming. **

Chapter Nine

_She withdrew it, found the number she was seeking and dialled, pressing the phone to her ear with a menacing – _

"_Back off!" _

Dissatisfied with the turn of her phone call, the madwoman ended it by flinging the phone into the nearest trash can. She groaned with passion, but quickly came to the conclusion that it didn't matter what his stupid detective thought, she was the one who had Richard Castle all to herself. All the detective had was empty threats. Placated by the reality of the situation, she slipped a smile back onto her face and set off to instigate the next piece of her plan.

Castle awoke to an empty room. The candles had fizzled out and despite his restless sleep he felt rather renewed. He tested the bonds that restrained him to find that his wrists had only swollen more overnight making it increasingly difficult to pull his hands free. He let out a frustrated sigh. He was sure that if he managed to free himself from his bonds, the rest of the escape process would be incredibly simple during a period of the madwoman's absence. He was kind of tempted to begin gnawing his wrists off – however, he didn't think the situation had become quite that desperate yet. After all, he had the best detective in New York looking for him. He knew all too well that once Beckett was set on solving something, she wouldn't stop, and in this circumstance that facet of her personality would work to his advantage.

He heard the door open and feigned sleep, hoping that perhaps she would leave him to his own devices for a bit longer. As hopeless as it was to sit, bound helplessly, it beat with certainty moments spent in her ever so unenjoyable company. She placed something, a jacket Castle deduced, over his shoulders – apparently, asleep or not, he was not to left in solitude any longer. Still, he kept his eyes tightly screwed shut attempting to delay the conversation – the insanity – for as long as he possibly could. After situating the jacket as best she could over his somewhat awkwardly positioned shoulders due to his arms constraints, she fastened a tie around his neck, her fingers playing lightly on the planes of his chest as she tightened it. Finally, she leaned into his ear, her breath on his neck.

"Honey, it's time to wake up. We have a big day ahead of us. The biggest of our lives," she whispered, her tone sickly sweet. Castle wondered if he could convincingly play dead. It didn't sound like a promising day in his opinion. As the madwoman began to gently shake his shoulders he knew faking dead would be futile and let out a soft sigh. "That's it, baby, wake up," she wasn't bothering to whisper anymore, her breath still caressing his ear. He wished his hands were unrestrained for the sheer joy of clamping his ears shut with them to drown out the drone of her voice. Really, it was the little victories that would satisfy him for the moment. However, that wasn't to be so he settled for the exaggerated opening of his eyes and stereotypical morning dopiness.

"Huh? Mother? Is that you?" He internalised a giggle with that. He kind of hoped that the madwoman was insulted. Apparently not, she let out a disturbingly high pitched cackle as she withdrew from his ear to look him in the eye.

"Good morning," she crooned. "It's me. Your bride," she stepped back and twirled. It was then Castle noticed her change of outfit and his stomach dropped, dramatically. She was wearing a worn wedding dress, it looked – and smelt – like it was from the eighties. The fabric was yellowed and stained, and the pattern was all ruffles and puffs. As she twirled he noticed the dress was ill-fitting, the zip only reaching halfway up her back, revealing a little too much skin for Castle's liking. "So, what do you think?"

"It's lovely," Castle lied through gritted teeth. It really wasn't – in the slightest. But she beamed at him, satisfied with his response.

"I'll just go get the minister," she giggled. "This is _so _exciting!"Castle panicked. A minister? There was no way in the world this could be legal? Maybe she'd kidnapped and coerced a priest as well? Scary as it may be, she seemed capable of such a feat. Surely he couldn't be forced to actually marry her? Pretend to marry her? Sure. But _actually_? Not a chance. Before he could dissolve into a full scale panic attack she had bounded back into the room with an old television on a rickety wheeled stand. Castle wasn't ashamed to admit he was very, very confused.

She plugged the television into a power outlet and stood it directly in front of Castle, turning it on as she came to stand beside him. An old home movie of a wedding burst to life on the screen and Castle recognised the dress instantly.

"You've been married before?" He asked gently, turning to look at the woman beside him.

"Oh yes," she replied without hesitation. "But so have you," she added.

"Yes," Castle acceded. "What happened to your husband?" He somehow felt he had misjudged the madwoman holding him captive. From the moment he'd met her, he'd assumed she was some crazy cat lady who'd never had a family. The lack of wedding ring and the dowdy demeanour had led him straight to that conclusion. If she'd suffered some great tragedy, it would explain so much, add eons to her story, not to mention fuel her insanity. Now that he was closer, he could make out the faint tan line of a ring on her wedding finger. But there was no real tragedy to her story. Her reply was simple, devoid of the makings of insanity –

"You know how it is; we just drifted apart over the years. I left him," she said with a shrug. "Enough questions, pay attention to the ceremony."

So Castle and the madwoman spent the next half an hour watching her old wedding video. Castle found the moment immensely saddening, the woman beside him seemed unaffected. She mouthed along to the vows and made Castle do the same. That was that, they were married – in her eyes and thankfully not in the eyes of the law. Naturally, she had brought rings for the occasion which she slipped onto her own and Castle's ring fingers. When the kiss came, she plied her mouth to his, but Castle refused to open his lips to her, he was drawn to the image on the screen that was at least twenty years old, of the madwoman and her husband locked in a passionate embrace.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Castle?" Beckett repeated into the phone. At the reply, her face was ashen, any trace of hope diminished. "Like hell," she hissed into the phone, turning it to loudspeaker so Alexis could hear the conversation.

"I said back off," the madwoman repeated her demand, menace in her voice. "I have Richard Castle. He's my _fiancé_," she emphasized the last word, satisfied the detective would get the message. Beckett struggled to choke back the laughter building inside of her. Oh Castle, he'd been plucked off the street by some woman intent on having her wicked way with him. Of course, Beckett knew the severity of the situation, she was just innately glad to finally have a lead. At least they now knew why he'd been taken; it was a place to start. Now that they had an answer, they could finally make some serious headway on the case. In a sense it was incredibly relieving. She couldn't really tell if the woman was dangerous which meant that Castle was still in imminent danger – but she was reassured that he was _alive_ and she could work with that.

"No," Beckett asserted. "He's mine," she added coolly, with a glance at Alexis. Looking his daughter in the eye, blush rose steadily on Beckett's cheeks as she continued, "Richard Castle is _mine_."

"I don't think so," the woman trilled. "He swore to me that he would never talk to you again," she added with glee.

"Sure. Now listen to me. If you so much as lay a finger on him I will destroy you." Beckett ignored the twinge in her heart with the madwoman's words. She knew it couldn't be true, but still, it stung somewhat. What if she made Castle wait too long and he just gave up on her? She couldn't let their moment pass them by just because she was too scared to be the person she wanted to be. Her mother's case unsolved or not, surely she could be _more_ for Castle. The madwoman merely huffed at her in response and Beckett heard a dull thud as the call was cut off.

She turned to Alexis with a tight smile. "Well that gives us something to work with. We know we're looking for a woman, probably with a car or van, on the security footage." Alexis was ignoring her.

"His phone, his phone, his phone," she was mouthing to herself over and over again, a pensive expression on her face. "That's it!" she gasped, continuing with a bright smile. "A while ago Dad uploaded this app onto my phone, it's a GPS tracker that you can use if you lose your phone. I'd bet anything he installed in on his phone as well. Wouldn't surprise me if he'd added it to yours while you weren't looking," she finished with a wry grin at Beckett. "God, I wish I'd thought of it sooner…"

"Alexis! You're a genius. My goodness, you are without a doubt your father's daughter. Don't tell him I said that, it'll only inflate his ego," Beckett grinned. It suddenly seemed like the case had been burst wide open. "How do we activate this GPS tracker?"

"We need to go home, it's on his computer," Alexis took Beckett's hand and tugged her back onto the street. She made to hail a cab but Beckett halted her.

"C'mon, we'll take the cruiser." They drove in silence for a minute or two. Beckett was driving with the same determination as earlier in the evening, sirens blazing, laws disregarded. She couldn't stop thinking about what the madwoman who held Castle captive was subjecting him to. The possibilities caused her to shudder. She hoped he was okay. But merely knowing he was still alive had changed everything, the weight bearing down on her shoulders had lifted and there was a quiet joy holding her together. She would get him back, and she would repeat to him everything the message she had left on his phone earlier had said and more. There would be no more wasted opportunities, no more waiting. For crying out loud, there were strangers out there – like this madwoman – who were willing to take the plunge with Castle quicker than she was, it was becoming ridiculous.

"You know, I thought it was sweet what you said on the phone," Alexis soft voice drew her from her thoughts. "I get that you care about him. I just hate how often he – both of you – ends up in danger."

"So do I, Alexis," Beckett practically whispered. Alexis regarded her with a flash of surprise running through her gaze.

"You do? The way Dad talks about you in high pressure situations, it kinds of seems like you crave the adrenalin rush," she admitted. Beckett let out a low, throaty chuckle.

"Believe me, I'm sure that's more about your Dad's storytelling embellishment than reality," she paused, worried about how honest she should be with the girl. "I'm petrified, Alexis. Especially since I was shot. I can barely handle it sometimes. Your Dad, Ryan, Esposito, they help me hold it together. That's why I keep him round at work. I feel like I can't do it without him. It's selfish of me, right?" She bit her lip sharply, quickly soothing it with her tongue.

"I…No, not really. It's not selfish, not when you know how badly he wants to be there, by your side. You do know, don't you?" The girl queried hesitantly. Beckett nodded.

"Of course…and you need to know that I feel that same way about your father," she admitted, with her eyes focussed on the road. She almost missed Alexis nod gently beside her.

"I can see that now. I'm glad he has you to fight so hard for him. Without you I don't think we could get him out of a situation like this."

"Without me he wouldn't get into situations like this," Beckett groaned.

"That's not true. At least, not in this case. From that phone call, it sounds like he only has himself to blame this time," Alexis grinned quickly at the detective.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:**** Firstly, thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I find constructive criticism (and of course encouragement) to be greatly useful. I'm updating again today because I happened to have the chance and as I'll be busy moving house over the next couple of days and won't have much time to write. Hope you all enjoy this next instalment! **

Chapter Ten

"_That's not true. At least, not in this case. From that phone call, it sounds like he only has himself to blame this time," Alexis grinned quickly at the detective. _

Beckett glanced away from the road for a moment to shoot a quick smile at Alexis. As she watched the girl's bottom lip trembled slightly and her smile dropped.

"But he could really be in trouble though? This time?" Her voice was low, measured as she spoke, her eyes on her hands folded in her lap.

"Yeah, Alexis. He really could be. We don't know what this woman is capable of. We don't even know if she's working alone. The fact that your Dad hasn't waltzed back here of his own accord isn't exactly an indication that what he's facing is a walk in the park." Beckett chewed on her bottom lip as she spoke, still unsure about exactly how honest she should be with Alexis. As calm and controlled as she was, it didn't take away from the fact she was still just a kid worried about her father. Alexis merely nodded in response to Beckett's honesty and continued to stare at her hands, the severity of the situation becoming more real to her as the night wore on. Truth be told, she found the detective's presence and demeanour incredibly reassuring. As long as Beckett was fighting this hard, they _had_ to find her Dad before anything drastic happened to him – more drastic than being snatched off the street by an obsessed fan anyway.

Their conversation ebbed away as they reached the loft, both women lost in thought. Little did they realise, they were both thinking about how glad they were to have the other to depend on during Castle's unintentional absence. Both were enjoying the new intimacy of heartfelt honesty and openness to their relationship, all the while wishing it had come to pass under different circumstances.

They reached the elevator and neither could bare the tedious wait. Standing still was just too frustrating. They made their way to the stairs and took them two at a time, panting by the time they hit the right floor. Alexis hastily unlocked the door and led Beckett to the study. The computer buzzed to life under her hands and Alexis sighed and tapped her finger impatiently, waiting for the desktop to load. Once it had loaded, she quickly navigated to the program for the app.

"It needs a password for the GPS tracker to be activated," she groaned. "God, it better be something simple. My Dad can be kind of crazy when it comes to passwords. He likes inventing words." She attempted to roll her eyes, but her heart wasn't really in it – she was clouded by worry.

"Is there a hint?" Beckett questioned quietly, sensing the girl's anxiety.

"Uh," Alexis glanced round the screen, quickly spotting the hint button. "Right, it just says, _our word_. What the heck does that mean? Maybe it's pumpkin," she typed the word as spoke it. Beckett knew – the second Alexis read the hint – Beckett knew what the password was.

"Always," she breathed, her heart thudding painfully loudly, threatening to jump out of her chest.

"Huh?" Alexis muttered, not really paying attention, distracted trying incorrect password after incorrect password. Beckett didn't respond straight away so Alexis drew her eyes away from the screen and turned to her. The detective had a faraway look in her eyes and had clutched a hand to her chest, gripping her necklace and her mother's ring tightly. "Kate," she entreated softly, "what did you say?"

"It's always, Alexis. The password is always," Beckett snapped herself out of her thoughts, sure of the password. Alexis nodded briskly and typed the word. Beckett let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as the password was successful. She couldn't believe Castle had made the password _their_ word, it was like she was the only one he wanted to find him if he went missing. Of course, she was reading too much into it, he had just made a simple, easy to remember password for if he lost his phone. Surely, he wasn't thinking about _himself_ being missing when he'd established their word as his password. Beckett needed to stop analysing it and start reading the results of the GPS tracker that Alexis was bringing up on the screen.

"I've got it, I've got the address. Let's go," Alexis practically flew from the room, tugging Beckett alongside her as she spoke. Beckett pulled herself from her thoughts and matched the girl step for step as they raced down the stairs. As they reached the cruiser Beckett handed Alexis her phone.

"Call Ryan and Esposito. Tell them to meet us at the address," she demanded, breathless from sprinting down the stairs. They hastily jumped into the car, before Beckett planted her foot and they were off in the direction of Richard Castle's phone, and by default the man himself.

Alexis was practically bouncing in her seat as they drove towards the address. Without turning to look at her, Beckett knew it was nerves that kept the girl fidgeting and her heart broke for her. If anything happened to her father she would never be same. Beckett knew the feeling of losing a parent all too well; she was going to do absolutely everything in her power to ensure that Alexis wasn't left virtually orphaned – when it came to parenting, Meredith didn't really count in Beckett's books. Plus, there was the additional factor that if anything happened to Richard Castle, Beckett would never be the same either. When it came down to it, Castle had three women who were depending on him for their future happiness.

They reached the address to find Ryan and Esposito already there, canvassing the area. She ordered Alexis to stay in the car, and desperately hoped that the girl was better than her father at following instructions. Alexis looked like she was tempted to disobey, but Beckett turned to her, "Please, you have to stay here. There is no way your Dad would ever forgive me if anything happened to you. I wouldn't forgive myself. You shouldn't be here in the first place. But, I couldn't bare to leave you. I need to know you're safe," she entreated softly. Alexis withdrew her hand from the door.

"I'll stay," she replied at a whisper. Beckett smiled gently and took her hand from her lap and squeezed it briefly before leaving the car. Esposito jogged to meet her.

"Hey Boss, this street's pretty dead. Half the houses are scheduled for demolition. About the only resident left is down there in number 4, an old guy called…"

"George Farmer," Ryan cut in as he reached them.

"Right," Esposito continued, "said he heard a car here a couple of hours ago, which is unusual because no one comes out here these days, especially in the dead of night." Beckett was formulating a response as she heard the faint sound of a ringing phone, and if she wasn't mistaken, it was Castle's phone.

"Hear that?" She made her way up the street, glancing carefully around her with every step. The ringing grew louder than stopped as she reached a trash can. She pulled a glove from her pocket and reached her hand into the bin. After a few moments, she fished Castle's phone from the trash. The screen was still lit up, with a missed call from Alexis. The girl really was a genius. She hurried back to the boys. "Still got that friend in forensics who owes you a favour," she asked dryly to neither member of her team in particular. Ryan shot her a wry grin.

"Actually, I do…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

The wedding video drew to a close and Castle was deeply glad to see the end of it. The weird mixture of delusional and reality was doing his head in. It was somewhat ironic coming from Castle, seeing how often he mixed reality with fantasy in his novels, but the whole Kate Beckett-Nikki Heat paradox made a hell of a lot more sense than the muddled world that was being played out before him. The madwoman sighed contentedly and leaned into his side. They stayed like that for several moments, Castle frozen by both his bonds and an overwhelming sense of being uncomfortable, whilst the madwoman ran her hands up and down his chest.

"Oh, we need some wedding pictures," she purred to Castle. "There's a camera in my car. I'll be back in a moment," she extracted herself from Castle's side and he began to breathe more evenly once again. She was only gone for a minute or two. Castle suspected she had practically skipped to her car as she was puffing softly as she re-entered the room, camera in tow. "It has a timer," she grinned, settling it on the rickety television stand that was still in the room. She nestled back into his side. "Smile, darling." The camera whirled to life, flashing rapidly in quick succession. Castle managed a dull grimace. Suffice to say, they probably weren't the best photos that had ever been taken of him. The madwoman was satisfied with the final products though, grinning broadly as she flicked through them. "Look at this one," she shoved the camera under Castle's nose. "We make such a gorgeous couple, don't you think?" Castle managed a brief nod.

They settled into silence for several more moments, the contrast between them stark. Castle's silence was sullen whereas the madwoman's was content, a faint smile plastered on her face. "You know what?" she added, breaking the silence. Castle turned to glance at her, still nuzzled against him and shook his head. "I'm going to go print these photos off, so we can hang them on the wall in here. Make it homely," she beamed. "Won't that be nice? I'll miss you while I'm gone though. Wait here for me, honey," she finished with a chuckle. Castle managed a choked –

"Bye," as she made her way out the door. He fell back into his sullen silence. Not that he begrudged her it, but Beckett sure was taking her time rescuing him. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could tolerate. He was going to break into a rant soon, because that was all that was really in his power to do under the circumstances – talk. He'd been working hard to keep the talking to a minimum, in case he said the wrong thing and it angered the madwoman. But this silence, intermitted with delusional conversation, was positively maddening. He wanted to rant and rave and scream about his love for Beckett, and love in general – how you couldn't steal someone's love like this. Stealing a person and telling them you loved them wasn't enough to cultivate true love. Richard Castle was a believer in true love and fate, he'd seen enough of the other side of love to know that it had to get better, there had to be soul mates. Admittedly, he was an optimist when it came to love. He had to be, otherwise he'd give up hope and he'd lose a piece of himself – the happy go lucky childish part that kept him optimistic in the face of defeat.

The creak of the door signalled the madwoman's return. Castle surmised that she'd been gone for a mere twenty minutes meaning that her house must be nearby. Although, captive as he was, that was a fairly useless piece of information. She smiled at him and proceeded to glue large copies of their "wedding" photos to the walls. It was a slow process, as she had to hold each image against the wall for a minute or two for the glue to start to dry. About ten minutes after the madwoman had returned, Castle was surprised to hear the door creak open once again, although this time it was flung sharply and slammed against the wall adjacent, the handle leaving a jagged crack in the wall. Castle turned his head to see a middle-aged man and was shocked to find him strangely familiar.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:**** You guys give really useful feedback, it's awesome! In regards to the lack of Martha and Gates, you're right – bit of an oversight there on my behalf, just kind of got caught up in the story and forgot about them. I've attempted to bring them back into the story with this chapter. In regards to my characterisation of Gates, I haven't watched the past three episodes yet (kill me now) so if anything doesn't match up with how Gates treats Beckett, Castle and the rest of the gang, my bad. **

Chapter Eleven

_Castle turned his head to see a middle-aged man and was shocked to find him strangely familiar._

The man surveyed the room before him and let out a guttural moan.

"You adulterous whore," he snarled at the madwoman. In that moment, recognition dawned on Castle and the blood drained from his face. If he was in considerable danger before, he was in _imminent_ danger now. The man storming into the room growling at the madwoman – who was cowering against the wall in fear – was an aged version of the groom from the wedding video. If the man's entrance statement was anything to go by, Castle would hazard to guess that the madwoman had told a tiny white lie and she was still married.

"What are you even doing here?" The madwoman asked timidly.

"How dare you!" he spat out. "I'm here because my _wife_ is cheating on me. My wedding ring was missing this morning and I came home from work for lunch to find some disturbing pictures on our computer." He was livid, his expression wild and his fists clenching and unclenching at his side. "Now I catch you playing some sort of weird bondage game with this guy!" He gestured jerkily at Castle. He reached deep into his coat pocket and pulled out a gun. "I'm not going to stand for it!" He thundered. "You're not allowed to leave me." Castle wasn't sure silence was his best option any longer.

"Listen, if you just untie me, I swear I'll never come near your wife again. Just let me go home to my family," he pleaded with the man before him. Anger flashed across the man's face. He drew his face closer to Castle's.

"How _dare_ you!" He snapped. The madwoman mumbled something incoherent, glancing desperately at Castle. He didn't know why, he really wasn't in a position to do anything for either of them. God, this was it. He was going to die. He remembered the image on the t-shirt he was wearing and suddenly wished he was naked; it would have been preferable given the circumstances. His attire could not be helping his case in the slightest – then again, naked probably wouldn't do him any favours either.

"Don't hurt him!" The madwoman was hysterical now; she had moved towards her actual husband and was caressing his arm pleadingly. The man roared and raised his free hand to slap her across the face. She stumbled back and fell to the floor, loud sobs erupting from her and she wrapped her head in her hands and lay in a crumpled mess on the concrete. Castle was terrified as the man turned to him.

"It is an unforgiveable sin to lust after another man's wife," he asserted slowly, controlled in his anger – it panicked Castle more. Uncontrollable rage was one thing, but calm and in control was another thing altogether. Castle got the distinct impression that this wasn't the first time he had laid a hand on his wife. He didn't display any signs of remorse, just glared between his wife and Castle with disgust.

Castle's mind drifted to Alexis. The possibility of danger had caused him to dwell on Beckett and if they'd missed their opportunity for happiness – but the possibility of actually _dying_, he couldn't draw his mind away from his precious daughter. He was so proud of the woman she was growing into. Surely she would be fine without him; he just desperately hoped she wouldn't fall down the same deep, dark rabbit-hole as Beckett. He wouldn't wish that on anyone. He pondered how he would have been different if his own mother had died while he had been a teen. He certainly wouldn't have been the same young man. It would have been an incredibly dark time; he understood how Jim Beckett had learnt to depend on alcohol to dull his emotions. Castle knew with certainty that he _had _to get home to Alexis – whether or not he actually _could_, now that was another story.

The man was watching Castle just sit there, he hadn't attempted to defend himself, he hadn't attempted anything and he found it infuriating. "You gonna say something, buddy?" He drawled, flickers of spit falling from his lips and onto Castle's face, reminding Castle just how close the proximity was between them. He shook his head slowly, once, twice, and the man was further enraged. He raised the gun in his hand and slammed the butt of it into the side of Castle's head – with feeling. The last thought in Castle's mind before he lapsed into a state of unconsciousness was a memory of watching Beckett and Alexis chat animatedly after the bank hostage case and the feeling of being completely content that had coursed through him at their exchange.

"Kate…" slipped from his lips, barely a whisper, as he passed out.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Beckett grinned quickly at Ryan.

"Back to the precinct then," she threw over her shoulder, already stepping into her car. The boys took off down the street immediately. "Alexis, you're a genius," Beckett said, holding up Castle's phone. "We may not have found your Dad yet, but if this thing has prints on it, should make it a hell of a lot easier to track down whoever's holding him. I didn't even think to call it," she mentally admonished herself for that one.

"Uh, I'm glad you think I'm a genius… You may not once we get back to the station…" she paused, rubbing her hand along the back of her neck. Beckett waited for her to continue. "I was supposed to call Gram and check in, let her know what was going on, but I got so caught up in worrying about Dad and trying to solve the case that I kind of forgot. So Gram called the precinct and they put her on to, uh, Captain Gates," Alexis admitted softly. Beckett groaned. She forgotten to call Gates, she'd kind of just hoped Castle would show up and they wouldn't have had to let Gates know about the whole situation at all. It wasn't so much forgetting to call her, as deliberately choosing not to – apparently not her brightest idea. She just didn't want to put up with Gates banging on about how Castle wasn't a cop and had brought it upon himself – _she _was the only one was allowed to remind Castle that he wasn't a cop, and that was always in an endearing sort of way these days. Alexis let her absorb the information before continuing. "So now, Gates is at the precinct with Gram, and Gram said something about her burning a hole into the floor in front of the murder-board with her pacing."

"Crap," Beckett interjected. "God, I hope I get to keep my job. Not that it really matters, finding your Dad is what's important. Still, we better get back there, ASAP."

Ryan and Esposito beat her and Alexis back to the precinct. Although, Beckett had delayed the trip to the homicide department slightly by dropping Castle's phone off to Ryan's friend in forensics. She found the boys with grim expressions being berated by a frustrated Gates.

"…I've come to expect this kind of disregard for authority from Beckett and Castle, but not from you two. You need to get your priorities straight. Something like this comes in, you call me pronto. No excuses. It's not even our case – this is a homicide department for crying out loud. Has the man been murdered?" Alexis let out a strangled gasp at her words, startling Gates to their presence. She paused, took in Alexis and remembered that Martha was behind her, lips pursed looking anxious. Her expression softened and she turned to Beckett. "Listen, I'm not mad about you all looking for Castle. I get it, he's part of your team, and if you ever tell him this you will face desk duty indefinitely – the man has a big enough ego as it is – I actually don't mind him being here. He's good for your team. What I do mind is that even after that incident with the tiger last month, you and your team still fail to let me know what's going on. I need to be in the loop, that's all there is to it. If I'm not in the loop then you all are not in the precinct – got it?" Beckett got it.

"Yes, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir. We just got caught up in the case. I know it's no excuse, but…" she trailed off. Ryan jumped in.

"It won't happen again, Sir."

"We found Castle's phone. Beckett took it to forensics. All we know so far is that Castle is being held hostage by a woman who's contacted Beckett to tell her to back off," Esposito was speaking to Martha as much as Gates. He turned to her more directly, "would you like a cup of tea, Martha?" The woman shook her head, much more interested in the exchange between the detectives. Gates took a step towards Beckett.

"Detective, I know I don't always shower Castle with affection but I'm on his side, okay? We'll bring him back safe so that he can continue to annoy us with his presence," her tone was gentler then before and she cautiously raised a hand to pat Beckett's shoulder. She turned to Alexis, "Miss Castle I presume? I'm Captain Gates as I'm sure you know. We're going to make this case the department's top priority – after all, one of our own is missing." Beckett was shocked to be seeing the softer side of Gates, she knew it was there, but she seldom was permitted to witness it. She found it heartening given the circumstances. Gates wasn't going to fire them, she was going to help them – it drew a soft sigh from Beckett to know that it seemed Castle's position at the precinct wasn't likely to be rescinded anytime in the near future with Gates silently backing him from behind the scenes.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN:**** So, so sorry for the delay between updates! Moving house and living without electricity or internet for a couple of days can be rather distracting. I'll try get the next chapter up within the next couple of days, although I have to warn you that buying a washing machine takes precedence. As always, please let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading & reviewing! **

Chapter Twelve

_Gates wasn't going to fire them, she was going to help them – it drew soft sigh from Beckett to know that it seemed Castle's position at the precinct wasn't likely to be rescinded anytime in the near future with Gates silently backing him from behind the scenes._

Gates regarded Beckett carefully, she could tell the detective was more worried than she was letting on. Truth be told they all were. But Beckett and Castle had some sort of connection that the captain didn't fully understand, and from the way Beckett's brow was furrowed and her focus wasn't fully on the conversation before her, Gates knew she had to ensure this investigation went smoothly. Her team needed Castle back.

"I'm going to place a call down to forensics, make sure that they put a rush on the fingerprints from Castle's phone. We need those answers now," Gates said, assuring the team of her support. Alexis was tempted to hug the domineering woman before her – instead she looked her squarely in the eye.

"Thank you," the sincerity and gratitude rang clearly through the room. Martha let out a small smile and Beckett echoed her with a soft –

"Thanks, Sir." With Gates turned and made her way promptly to her office, Castle's loved ones watching her as she yanked the phone to her ear and began barking orders at the forensics tech. It was reassuring to have such a powerful figure batting for them, for _Castle_.

"Let's keep looking through the security footage," Beckett turned to her team. Ryan nodded and seated himself at his desk once again.

"We've run through the first tape, from the Laundromat and we haven't been able to pick up on much. There are a couple of cars that go past, but we can't get more than a partial print because of the angle," Ryan admitted as he ran his fingers through his hair, evidently frustrated.

"Although, with the make and model, we might get something from the partial," Esposito interjected.

"Right," Ryan nodded. "I'll run them now, see what we get." He focussed his attention on the screen, typing away hastily. Beckett's phone shrilled loudly to life.

"Beckett… Ah huh… Right… Got it." She turned to her Ryan and Esposito with a dull grin, "That was forensics. We've got a name, Tessa Lonkings." Esposito typed it in to his computer.

"She's not in our system, no priors, nothing," he sighed.

"That could be a good thing – she's not a known serial killer," Martha mused, no hint of amusement in her tone. Beckett glanced at her and nodded.

"Boss, I've got something," Ryan exclaimed. "One of the partial prints matches a car registered to a Bryan Lonkings. Could be the husband of our perp." Esposito let out a low whistle.

"Husband's got a rap sheet. Domestic assault. Weapons charge. Chances are he's armed," Esposito warned. "Good news is we've got an address!" Everyone moved at once, scrambling madly towards the elevator.

"Martha, Alexis. Do you guys want to ride with me? You have to promise to stay in the car and I'll leave it while back from the address. But, if you want to be there, I understand," Beckett offered to Castle's family. Martha took her hand and squeezed it.

"Thanks kiddo."

"Espo, tell Gates!" Beckett ordered as the elevator doors sprung open. "We'll meet you down there." Beckett hurriedly led Martha and Alexis to the cruiser.

They followed Ryan and Esposito to the address, both cars speeding along at an alarming rate. As she took a right turn a lot faster than was necessarily safe, Beckett noticed Martha's face pale. She considered slowing down, but couldn't bare the thought of it taking any longer to get to Castle. She knew Martha would understand, she just hoped the older woman wasn't carsick.

As Beckett pulled up to the curb the tension in the car was palpable.

"Just stay safe, okay," Alexis demanded softly as Beckett pushed her door open. Beckett nodded.

"The same goes for you. No pulling any Castle-esque stunts. Got it?" It was Alexis' turn to nod.

"Don't worry about us, darling," Martha reassured her. "We won't move an inch."

With that, Beckett and the boys stood on the sidewalk and hastily geared up. As Beckett tucked her mother's ring into her vest, she prayed that they wouldn't be necessary on this occasion. She didn't want to see whatever was going on culminate in a gun fight – even if Castle might find it very cool, if he managed not to get shot that was. Although, Beckett was fairly sure that since her shooting Castle didn't find gun fights to be all that exciting any longer. Her thoughts followed her up the path until they reached the front door of Tessa and Bryan Lonking's house, it was then that she pushed them back to focus on the task at hand – whatever it was that lay beyond the red wooden door before them.

"NYPD, open up!" her voice was loud and clear, no sign of the fear that was coursing violently through her veins. What if they didn't find Castle? What if he was hurt – or worse? Beckett couldn't keep the possibilities from running through her mind. Although the constant stream of thoughts should have been distracting, Beckett found them empowering, they motivated her to put one foot in front of the other, to order Esposito to knock down the sturdy door and to hastily move into the house, gun drawn. They scoured the rooms and came up empty. No one was home.

"Boss, I got something!" Ryan called from another room. Beckett made her way to him at a run.

"What have you got?" He answered by simply turning the computer monitor towards her.

"This sparkling gem was in the recently viewed list," Ryan motioned sarcastically, before his tone softened. "He'll be okay, Boss. We'll get to him." Beckett was frozen, Ryan's words failing to reach her; she was focussed entirely on the image before her on the computer screen. It was of Castle and a middle aged woman – Tessa Lonkings, she assumed – Tessa was in a yellowed wedding dress with a huge genuine grin that lit up her face. She could only see Castle's face, he was sitting as Tessa stood, but his smile didn't come close to matching Tessa's. His face looked drawn, worry and fear clouding his clear blue eyes. Beckett could practically see his brain processes his situation, looking for an escape. But from his eyes, all she could see was him _begging_ her to come rescue him. She remembered to breathe, her heart thudding an erratic pattern. She noticed that Ryan and Esposito were staring at her with matching concerned expressions. She was about to speak, pull herself away from the photo and instigate their next move when the Lonking's home phone burst to life, echoing shrilly through the house devoid of its occupants. Beckett debated answering it – apparently she debated for too long as the answering machine picked it up. A worried woman's voice filled the silence left by the no longer ringing phone.

"Bryan, I know I told you that Tessa likes to go down to the old office building when she feels like having a little bit of space, just promise me you haven't done anything stupid with that temper of yours. I shouldn't have told you. No, no, I shouldn't have… She's probably just curled up reading those books she loves on that big couch in the foyer. Anyway, would you get her to call me when…" The message was cut off as Beckett yanked the phone from the hook.

"Mam, this is Detective Beckett from the NYPD. We're looking for Tessa and Bryan Lonkings. Do you know where they might be?" Her tone was professional and calm, her heart was anything but. Thank the lord this woman had called. It might be just the break they needed so desperately after finding the house empty.

"Uh, hi detective," the woman managed to squeak out. "Has something happened to my brother and his wife?"

"Bryan Lonkings is your brother," Beckett stated more than questioned, repeating it out loud to process the information. "Do you know his current whereabouts?" Beckett could almost feel the woman shrug down the phone.

"He called me an hour or so ago looking for Tessa. I told him she might be down at the office she used to work at. It's closed now, but it's still furnished and Tessa likes to go down there sometimes when she wants a bit of space," she begrudgingly admitted.

"Do you know the address?" Beckett demanded.

"No," the woman sighed. "But, as I told Bryan, it's probably in that address book of Tessa's next to the phone. Just look under work."

"Thank you for your assistance," Beckett muttered down the phone, hastening to hang it up. However, the woman had one last thing to add –

"Detective, whatever you think my brother has done, you're wrong. He's a good man. I mean, he has a temper sometimes, but he is a good man," she asserted. Beckett hung up on her, without saying goodbye. She wasn't in the mood to hear someone defending the person who was holding Castle captive. She slammed the phone down.

It didn't take long for Beckett and the boys to find the address for the abandoned office building. As they made their way back to their respective cars, Beckett shot a grim smile to Alexis and Martha.

"No one was home, but we spoke to Bryan's sister and we've got a possible address," she informed them before she planted her foot and they were off again. They reached the office building in a matter of minutes. Beckett withdrew her gun, taking point, and led the boys into the building. They cleared every room until they reached the end of the long corridor and only one door remained. Beckett nudged it open and moved into the room, gun first. Unable to remain completely professional –

"Oh Castle," rushed from her lips before she had the chance to reign it in. The armed man in the room standing over Castle's limp and bleeding body regarded her, a glint of menace in his eyes.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Castle lapsed between the realms of conscious and unconscious. Occasionally making out snippets of the madwoman's husbands enraged mutterings about what he was going to do to them. He preferred unconscious to waking to that. He pushed his eyes further shut and tried to will himself further into his mind and away from reality. His mind really was a beautiful place, in it Beckett called to him.

"Oh Castle." Her tone was concern and pure unadulterated love. Castle was immensely enjoying this unconscious fantasy. Reality didn't make for a fun alternative. Although, he thought he heard Esposito say something about dropping his weapon. That was weird, Esposito and Ryan didn't normally make it to his fantasies. In his fantasies, it was always just himself and Beckett, _always._


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:**** Thanks to everyone's who has been reading and reviewing. Special thanks to White Pawn and BoneyCastle237 for your consistent and incredibly encouraging reviews – you guys always manage to brighten my day and make me excited to start working on the next chapter. Also, White Pawn, your ideas are genius, you manage to bring up things I tend to forget about and I'll be working at incorporating them into coming chapters. That said, enjoy the latest instalment! **

Chapter Thirteen

_In his fantasies, it was always just himself and Beckett, always._

This particular fantasy was incredible though. It was just so tangible; he could practically feel Beckett's fingers delicately running along the back of his neck, moving gingerly over the gaping wound on his head from the butt of the gun. He could almost hear her whispering in his ear to come back to her, could hear her say that Alexis and his mother were waiting for him, could hear – hang on, he could _hear her_. This wasn't part of his unconscious mind weaving delusions of grandeur. This was reality. Beckett had come to rescue him. The weight on his chest dissipated to nothing. He sought to reassure her –

"Be…" he mumbled, words escaping him, all the while his mind screaming her name. He couldn't reach coherency, he found himself slipping further from reality once again.

X-X-X-X-X-X

All Beckett had seen since entering the room and his name had slipped from her lips was Castle. She couldn't take her eyes off him as Esposito ordered the man to drop his weapon. Her eyes didn't leave his slumped form as the boys spun the man and cuffed him. She searched every inch of him with her eyes, gasped as she found the gnash to the back of his head. Her eyes didn't leave him as she dropped to her knees beside him and ran her hand over his wound, checking its depth, willing it to stop bleeding. She didn't look away as she whispered pleas for him to wake up. She thought she heard the echo of her name on his lips –

"Be…" before drifting away to nothing. It was then that her eyes left him, she closed them cautiously hesitant to break the connection, and leaned in to press a chaste kiss to his cheek. As she fluttered her eyelids slowly back open she remembered they weren't alone in the room, Esposito cleared his throat and Ryan grinned. The madwoman wailed, whether it was because police were arresting her husband or Beckett was kissing Castle, Beckett didn't know, nor did she care. Tessa continued to sob, loud and pitiful moans wretched from her very soul, as Ryan cuffed her and brought her to her feet. The boys made to take Tessa and Bryan from the room.

"Wait," Beckett murmured, barely a whisper, but being so attuned to one another the boys caught it and froze. "I need scissors, a knife, something."

"Pocket," Esposito shifted his hips towards her, hands busy restraining Bryan who had fallen into silent submission – after all, what had he done wrong? In his eyes, it was his adulterous wife who was to blame for everything. Beckett drew a small blade from Esposito's pocket. She cut the binds restraining Castle, kissing each his hands gently as she pulled them free, ignoring the boys smirks. His wrists were red and raw and her brow furrowed, clearly not happy with the picture before her. Of course, she was ecstatic to find him relatively safe but that didn't take away from her anger at his injuries no matter how small they may be. Besides, the open head wound was a serious concern. She frowned at his shirt, it was really was something. She drew her hand under it and pulled it away from his body before slicing it open and tugging it from his chest. She balled it up and tenderly pushed it to the bloody gnash at the back of his head. Satisfied she turned to Tessa who whimpered under her intense gaze.

"Like I said, he's mine," there was no malice to her tone, just firm possession. "You're going to pay for making him bleed, I promise you that," she was speaking to both of them with that. She was fairly certain that Bryan had hit Castle, but she was also certain that Tessa was the one who had orchestrated this situation in the first place. They both would pay, she would see to it. There would be no deals, no shortened sentences. All that was coming for them was justice.

Sirens blared outside and EMTs rushed into the building. Ryan and Esposito led the Lonkings from the room. With Castle still unconscious, the EMTS placed him on a stretcher and wheeled him out onto the street. Beckett clasped her hand with his as they walked, the EMTs moving around her. She could see Alexis' eye's bulge and her hand jump to grip the door handle as she saw the detective and her father come into view. Beckett nodded wildly and the girl plunged from the cruiser and rushed to her father's side with Martha on her heels.

"He's fine, Alexis. Just a concussion from a hit he took to the head," she attempted to tame the wild panic in the girl's eyes.

"Hit to the head?" she squeaked out. "Oh, Dad." She lowered her head and clasped his free hand. "Please wake up." The nearest EMT turned to her.

"Your old man should be fine, sweet thing. We're just going to take him back to the hospital to monitor him for the next day or two. Would you like to ride along with us?" Alexis nodded firmly. "Okay then, up we go." Their small procession had reached the waiting ambulance. The EMTs loaded Castle into the van and helped Alexis up. As Castle's hand slipped from hers, Beckett felt an overwhelming sense of loss. She took a moment to compose herself as the ambulance doors were pulled closed before she turned to Martha and took the matriarch's hand in hers.

"To the hospital," she managed.

"To the hospital," Martha agreed.

They drove in silence. Reassured by finding Castle but scared all the same by his unconscious state. They were both used to a myriad words, not absolutely nothing, flowing from the lips of Richard Castle. They found him still silent upon reaching the hospital.

"Doctors say he just needs time to wake up. Given the situation they think he probably hasn't slept for the past couple of days as it is, and with the bump on the back of his head, well, his brain just needs some time to wake itself up. It could be anything from hours to a day or two," Alexis spilled out as they found his room. A nurse walked in and considered the increase in occupants to the room with a frown.

"I'm sorry, no visitors at the moment. Immediate family only," she said with a sigh, her tone serious. Beckett made to pull her badge from her pocket. Martha laid a hand on her wrist, halting her.

"That's what we are," Martha said sweetly, but with an obvious firmness to her tone. The nurse nodded her acceptance and checked the bandage on Castle's head was still secure before departing the room.

"Martha," Beckett started softly. "You didn't have to…"

"Nonsense, my dear detective. It's the truth," Martha stated sliding her hand down Beckett's wrist to clasp hers. Alexis let out a soft chuckle, her eyes still glued to her father but clearly listening to the exchange going on in the room around her.

"Not everyone gets to come to the family viewing of Gram's one-woman shows, you know," she added softly. Beckett found a small smile spill onto her lips. She moved to put her hand on Alexis shoulder, pulling Martha with her. Alexis drew one her hands away from her father and grasped Beckett's hand on her shoulder gently. They stood like that for a while, all eyes in the room focussed on the man breathing steadily in the hospital bed before them.

Beckett wasn't sure how much time had passed when she heard Alexis' stomach grumble. She groaned, she'd been with the girl since the night before and hadn't fed her a thing. Her getting caught up in a case and forgetting to eat was one thing, but her neglecting to care for his child, that was another something altogether. She mentally admonished herself; it was stupid to forget about food time and time again. It was another glowing reminder of how she'd come to depend on Castle so heavily, he would have force fed the both of them hours ago. No wonder she was so exhausted, Alexis unused to neglecting herself as Beckett was must be starving.

"Hey Alexis, do you want something to eat?" She started to get up from the seat she'd taken across from the girl at some point after entering the room. Martha rose to her feet.

"I'll go. Alexis, darling, would you like to come for a walk?" The young redhead glanced from her father, to Beckett, to her grandmother.

"Sure. I could use the movement," as if to emphasise her point she drew her hands above her head and cracked them briskly before gently rotating her neck. With that she took her grandmother's outstretched arm and they walked from the room.

Beckett was content sitting in silence, tracing patterns onto the back of Castle's hand as she held it tight. It wouldn't be like last summer when she'd pushed Castle from her hospital bed and onto the street, this time they would do it together. She would be here when he woke, ready to spill her secrets and keep hold of his hand forever. That was the dream anyway. Reality tended to get a little skewed. Despite the overbearing presence of the wall within her heart, she felt ready. She'd throw Castle a ladder and he could scale the wall to stand hopelessly without answers on the same side as her. At least they'd be together.

Alexis and Martha hadn't been gone long when Beckett heard movement in the room behind her. She was about to turn and acknowledge them when a very different, but glaringly familiar voice filled the room.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:**** Thanks for sticking with this story everyone. I'm so glad you're all reading it. Enjoy! **

Chapter Fourteen

_She was about to turn and acknowledge them when a very different, but glaringly familiar voice filled the room._

Beckett was slightly hesitant to turn around and greet the intruder of her quiet moment with Castle. The room certainly wasn't going to be quiet for much longer. But without looking she couldn't gauge the reaction of the room's newest occupant so she shifted her body away from Castle – refusing to realise her grip on his hand. She wasn't sure how smoothly this conversation would go. In fact, she was fairly certain she was in for tongue lashing. She just hoped Castle wouldn't wake up when things got heated.

"Err, hi," she started.

"Girl!" Lanie's voice was high-pitched and anything but suitable for the silent hospital room. Beckett raised a hand to quiet her, gesturing at Castle, a spark of anger in her eyes. "Uh-uh, you don't get to shush me right now, Katherine Beckett. Your writer boy is abducted and I have to find out from Gates! Why the hell didn't you call me? You are in so much trouble." Her tone was anger and irritation but her eyes were dancing with amusement and relief.

"Gates?" Beckett drew out, confused as to why Gates had called Lanie to tell her Castle was missing. That really was out of character.

"Yes, Gates. I think you took the wrong thing away from that statement though, girl!" Lanie sighed in mock exasperation.

"Right. Castle should be fine by the way," Beckett intoned sarcastically.

"Oh, I know he's fine, I ran into mini-Castle and mama-Castle out in the hallway. Do you want to hear my story or what?" Beckett shrugged, then nodded with a wry grin. Lanie softened. "Seriously though, I'm glad Castle's okay. I wouldn't have come all storming up in here if I didn't know he was gonna be just fine." She was met with another small smile and nod of acceptance from Beckett. "A body dropped this morning and I was looking forward to your beautiful morning breath and rampant sexual tension but then one of the other teams shows up. So I finish up down at the morgue and figure I'll deliver the results to homicide myself, just to see what's going on with your team. I find Ryan and Espo in the interview room with a couple of creeps and you and Castle strangely absent. Then I notice something about Castle on the dang murder-board and I'm about to burst into the boys interrogation and get some answers when Gates comes out of her office and sets me straight." Lanie finally paused to take a deep breath. "Spill," she added. "I need to hear your version," she eyed Beckett's hand tangled with Castle's, "I think it will be much more enlightening than Gates'."

"My story, hey?" Beckett started softly with a glance at her hand entwined with Castle's. "So, after I finished up at the precinct last night, I went around to Castle's for dinner…" She was interrupted as Lanie let out a little squeal. "What?" Beckett sighed.

"Nothing, just, I like your version of events much better already! Gates was far too clinical, plus she didn't mention you showing up at Castle's house at all hours of the night – I know what time you like to finish up at the precinct," Lanie laughed.

"Lanie," Beckett chided. "It was a perfectly reasonable hour. Besides, it's not like I've never done it before," she added with a teasing grin. "Anyway, do you want to hear my version or not? If you're going to keep interrupting I don't think we're going to get up to the part where I kissed Castle – on the cheek – in front of two criminals and Ryan and Espo." Lanie let out a genuine squeal at that. Beckett was surprised a nurse hadn't come in to forcibly remove her from the hospital. Surely there were other patients on this floor.

"I think I'm going to like this story, a lot. Does it include any passionate declarations of love?" Beckett responded by reaching over and slapping her best friend lightly on the arm.

"That's it, you just revoked your right to hear my story," she said with a mock huff, sticking her nose in the air in fake indignation. "Besides, knowing Castle, he's probably faking unconscious just so he can listen to the conversations going on around him. I don't really envision telling him anything important for the first time while he's merely eavesdropping, so no declarations of love for you," she added dryly. However, her eyes were still sparkling with jest. She was enjoying this conversation immensely, she adored Lanie and she did feel kind of bad for neglecting to tell her about Castle. After all, Castle and Lanie were friends too. She gestured to the chair Alexis had vacated. "Get comfortable, you're in for the extended version of events."

She told Lanie practically everything, omitting some parts about her constant internal monologues about missed and future opportunities with Castle. As she shrugged, and said, "That's pretty much it," Lanie let out a low whistle.

"That's some story, girl. It's going to be interesting to hear Castle's version when he wakes up," she declared as she reached over and ruffled Castle's hair lightly. "Writer boy sure is going to be excited to see you've been sitting vigil by his hospital bed that's for sure."

"Lanie…" Beckett warned, then softened. "Yeah, he is. He shouldn't be though…" she murmured.

"What do you mean?" Lanie asked.

"Well," Beckett said gently running her free hand over Castle's brow, pushing back his hair. "He shouldn't be surprised to find me beside his hospital bed. He should _expect_ it. I know I'd expect to wake up and find him. I just wish he could depend on me like that. He shouldn't be surprised," she reiterated firmly. Lanie nodded and placed her hand on Beckett's.

"He knows, Kate. I don't think he'd keep sticking around if he had no chance at all. He has hope, he knows that you would have kicked him out years ago – and stuck to it – if you really wanted him out of your life," she replied, her tone gentle and soothing.

"Thanks Lanie," Beckett said with a nod and a small smile. "I'm glad you're here," she added after a moment.

"Next you call me and I'll be here sooner, okay?" She shot a cheeky grin at her best friend. "Gates, c'mon! The next time I see Espo he is going to get the exact same talking to," she added with a laugh.

"I'm going to call him and tell him to hide from you. Gotta look out for my team," Beckett joked. Lanie slapped her lightly across her wrist.

"Believe me, I only went easy on you because you're sitting in a hospital bed next to your unconscious man," Lanie sassed. Beckett was about to have a serious conversation with Lanie about her calling Castle _her man_ but Alexis and Martha chose that moment to return from their food run. Besides, in a way, Castle was her man, denial or not, she knew that. She just wished that everyone else elected not to comment on it – apparently she didn't have control over that though.

"Ladies, may I present you with sustenance," Martha shepherded Alexis and a pile of food into the room. The girl laid the food at the foot of the bed, beside her father's covered feet. "Oh darling, I don't know if that's sanitary," Martha motioned with laughter behind her words. Alexis merely grinned and handed Beckett a sandwich.

"Eat," she pushed. "You'll feel much better. We ran into Dad's doctor in the hall and he mentioned that Dad's head scans are looking clear and he should wake up relatively soon," she added with relief painting her every word. As she spoke, her smile was more genuine than it had been during this entire situation. Beckett found herself reacting, immediately feeling happier just knowing that the girl was less worried.

Beckett's phone shrilled and she reached into her pocket to open it, depositing her half-eaten sandwich on the bed, refusing to relinquish Castle's hand.

"Detective Beckett," she answered, listening for a moment. "Oh, hey Espo. What did you find out during the interrogation?...Ah-huh….Yeah….You're right. We'll have to wait for Castle to wake up to get the full story…He's doing good, shouldn't be too long now…Okay, I'll call you as soon Castle's ready to give a statement…Bye." She hung up to find all eyes in the room, apart from Castle's, locked on her. "Uh, that was Esposito…" she started, but Alexis cut her off –

"They're going to go to jail, right? The people who did this to him?" She gestured wildly at her father, venom in her voice. The carefree expression from a moment ago completely removed from her face.

"Yeah, Alexis. They'll pay. I'll see to it with everything I've got. There will be justice for this. It's the least I can do…" she didn't need to add _for him_ for everyone in the room to hear it anyway. They all knew how willing Castle and Beckett were to fight for one another.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Castle slept, his mind whirling with his family, Beckett included. He imagined conversations around him, heard snippets of Beckett and Lanie's girl talk, with him as the focus. He dreamt of quiet moments with his family, heard his mother's dramatic entrance as she made her way into a room. He pictured Alexis and Beckett discussing justice, heard them fighting for him. But his brain was pounding and he struggled to make sense of anything so he simply allowed the blackness to overtake him and fell deeper into nothingness.

**AN:**** Okay, so how many of you were expecting, 'glaringly familiar' to mean Josh? I'd planned on bringing Lanie into the story that way from the beginning; it was only as I was writing the last chapter I thought how easily I could make it Josh. Was anyone looking forward to an awkward Josh scene? Would you like one? I'm sort of leaning towards including one whilst they're still hanging out in the hospital. Let me know if you'd like to see it. **


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:**** I haven't fully decided about the Josh thing. I'd never intended on including him in the story and I get how it can be a bit clichéd. I'm thinking about writing a one-shot that could stand alone from this story, but still fit in with it, with Josh in it. We'll see. Nonetheless, here's the next chapter. Let me know what you think, thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed! **

Chapter Fifteen

_But his brain was pounding and he struggled to make sense of anything so he simply allowed the blackness to overtake him and fell deeper into nothingness_.

Slowly Castle crept back into awareness of his surroundings. He heard the steady breathing of people around him. His mind explored his circumstances, attempting to ascertain if he was still in the captive of the madwoman – had Beckett's voice been imagined? There was a steady pressure on his right hand that was warm and strangely comforting. He struggled to form a word, found it trying and changed tack to prying an eye open. He found himself in a dimly lit hospital room; relief coursed through him, Beckett hadn't been imagined. His eyes found her, hand clasped tight on his – an explanation to the pressure that was comforting him. She was sitting beside his bed, slumped forward, dozing, practically in his lap. He grinned at that. He lifted his free hand to run it through her hair. He'd just play unconscious if she reacted. She didn't stir and he moved his eyes from the top of her head to scan the rest of the room. Alexis was asleep on a cot on the floor beside them. Despite the dull light he could tell that they were the only three occupants of the room. It was the small things his wealth afforded him that he really appreciated sometimes, like the opportunity to have a private hospital room where he could be alone with his women. As Beckett stirred and her eyes found his, he appreciated it all the more. A grin stretched across her face as she found him awake and his lips rose to match hers in an answering grin.

"Hey stranger, I missed you," she whispered, aware of Alexis sleeping still. Her tone was rich with sleep and Castle had to focus to take in her words, not just the movement of her mouth and sweet sound of her voice. He beamed in response.

"Worried about me were you?" he answered softly, squeezing the hand that she still held. He untangled the fingers of his other hand from the ends of her hair where they'd come to rest and gently brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face, tucking them behind her ear. She fought the urge to blush as he gazed intently at her.

"Oh no, Alexis and I were glad to have the time apart from you. We even spent the whole night hanging out down at the precinct trying to solve a case. I have to be honest, I think she's replaced you, she's got much more of a knack for investigating," Beckett teased lightly.

"I organised this whole thing just so the two of you would have the chance to spend some quality time together," Castle responded with a wink. They both laughed gently at that. They sat in silence for a moment, just staring at one another, content to just be together. Neither was willing to loosen the grip on the other's hand. Beckett was using her free hand to gently trace patterns on Castle's wrist, the sensation sending barely masked shivers to Castle's very core.

"Alexis was incredible, you know," Beckett started softly after several minutes had passed. "I don't know if we would have found you in time without her. Plus, she kept me sane. I'm just," she paused, trying to find the right words to convey the sentiment she was trying to. "I'm just so grateful she was there, that we did this together. I kind of love your kid, Castle," she finished quietly, but without hesitance. It the best thing he'd ever heard her say. It was the best thing anyone had ever said to him. He wanted to kiss her so badly. She continued to her run her fingers along his wrist, his arm, sending sparks of electricity pounding through him. As he watched her in wonderment, she brushed her lips on the back of his hand. "I'm really glad you're okay," she sighed. He mumbled something non-coherent, too distracted by _her_ to form full words. "You are okay, right? What exactly happened to you, Castle?" she frowned. He groaned in remembrance and regretted it instantly as her frown deepened.

"I'm fine, Beckett, really," he offered her a small smile. Her expression softened but didn't return to the joyous, relaxed Beckett of five minutes ago. He sighed, he didn't really want to rehash the experience, but clearly Beckett needed to know, whether it was curiosity, her cop instinct or genuine concern that drove her need he wasn't entirely sure. To be honest, it really didn't matter what drove her need to know – he wanted her to share in the experience with him. Telling Beckett made it theirs, a shared experience, joined in common knowledge. He certainly wasn't going to be sharing it with anybody else. "I'll start from the beginning," his tone slipped into storytelling mode, weaving words that drew Beckett in. "As I made my way down the dingy city streets, my mind was dancing with ideas of what to make my dear detective for dinner. Although, she had only given me a noncommittal response and I was saddened by the thought that she might miss my intimate family dinner in favour of working herself too hard, which would have been a crying shame because my cooking is simply exquisite…" Beckett cut him off with a soft –

"I came, you know." Castle expression was puzzled. "To the loft, for dinner. That's why Alexis and I started looking for you. I came around after I finished work. I was going to have dinner with you, Castle," she murmured gently, not quite meeting his eyes. Castle's face exploded into a grin, he pulled their joined hands to his mouth and kissed her hand gently, his blue eyes sparkling. If she was allowed to kiss his hand then he sure was going to return the favour after she said things like that. Things that made his heart want to beat out of his chest and made him want to pull her onto the bed with him and hold her tight, dragging his lips across hers over and over again. Of course, whilst he was in a hospital bed with his daughter in the room was probably not the best time to be dwelling on fantasies like those. Beckett was gazing at him as he sat there, grinning like a fool, miles from reality. He could almost pretend that he could see masked longing reflected in her gaze as well, the things that she did to his body, with her eyes alone. Unbelievable. "The story," she prompted, evidently not as lost in thought as he was at that moment.

"Right," he fought for composure and somehow managed to win. "I was alone in the street, with only my thoughts and the dull thud of my footsteps echoing through my mind. A second set of footsteps sounded behind me, a woman's voice, calling for help. Her car had broken down; she couldn't get the spare tyre out of her trunk. She needed the aid of a strong, muscular man…"

"And all she got was you. Unlucky," Beckett interjected with a laugh.

"Guess I opened myself up for that one," Castle muttered. "Look Beckett, if you're going to keep interrupting we might never get to the meat of the story," he said without a hint of frustration, before lowering his voice and adding. "Not that I mind prolonging an intimate conversation with you in a dark room. I'm all for more of those." Beckett chuckled, squeezed his hand again.

"Keep going Castle. I'll interrupt if I feel the need, I've got nowhere else in the world I need to be," her tone was serious, she wasn't teasing. She meant what she said. Castle's chest swelled at the thought. He immensely enjoyed waking up to find Beckett clutching his hand and listening eagerly to his stories – not that this really was a story so much as recapping the time they'd spent apart over the past couple of days. He liked the idea of that too, holding Beckett's hand, preferably in bed, discussing the events of their day. He could easily make a habit out of that.

"So anyway, I agreed to help this poor, dowdy looking, helpless woman out of the goodness of my heart. I lean into her trunk, the tyre is jammed really tight. I feel a sharp sting to the back of my neck and I collapse into the trunk. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in this barren room, alone and wishing that I was at least cuffed to a certain sexy detective to help me pass the time – oh, and escape. Although, I was fairly glad I wasn't cuffed to you because it meant you were safe," he added softly, squeezing her hand. She smiled gently in response. "I spent the next while scoping out the room and trying to telepathically let you know where I was. Oh!" He gasped, suddenly remembering why he had been hell-bent on orchestrating his own escape and not having Beckett storm in and rescue him. "Oh god," he moaned. "Please tell me I was naked when you showed up to rescue me and not wearing…" he shuddered and Beckett smirked.

"And not wearing your favourite homemade t-shirt?" she finished for him. He groaned.

"Please, please erase that from your memory, Beckett. Tell me you'll be able to see me as attractive again," he grumbled. She laughed.

"Oh Castle, don't worry. I may never, but the boys should be able to get over soon enough," she said with a grin.

"The boys. Oh god. I'm ruined," he complained. "Beckett, you realise that I'm never going to be able to return to the precinct now."

"So that's all it takes to get you to stay away, Castle? An embarrassing t-shirt? You're telling me that all I had to do all these years was snatch you off the street and force you to wear a hideous shirt?" she exclaimed, her tone rich with teasing.

"It's so not funny, Beckett!" he whined before they both dissolved into fits of giggles, Castle's words lost to relief.

"I'm glad you're safe, and back, and you're still _you_," Beckett sighed after the laughter faded.

"You and me both," Castle agreed. "I would have hated to come back someone else. An alien version of myself that didn't know how to feel human emotions, for example." Beckett swatted his shoulder lightly.

"You know what I mean you goof," she smiled. He matched her grin.

"So you want the rest of the story?" he asked after a moment.

"Every second," she replied. "Then I'll tell you mine."


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:**** To everyone who reviews you unquestionably make my day. To White Pawn, I don't think make my day even begins to encompass how much I enjoy your reviews. Thank you. **

Chapter Sixteen

"_Every second," she replied. "Then I'll tell you mine." _

"Well," he started. "The very next second I thought about how much I'd like to escape, then the next second, then the next. Then, after about two-thousand seconds of much the same…" he paused for suspense, revelling in storytelling mode. "_The_ madwoman showed up, showered my cheeks with sloppy kiss and demanded I call her Mrs Castle." Beckett fought a growl and dug her nails into Castle's hand as she clenched it tighter. After this whole ordeal she was feeling rather possessive. It seemed Castle was sharing her sentiment. "She's not the woman I'm going to be calling Mrs Castle," he muttered. "I'm saving that name for…" he broke away with a blush, electing not to finish that sentence.

"Third time's the charm," she breathed and he almost jumped from the hospital bed in shock. He figured she had grasped where he was headed with that last statement, he had just expected a completely different reaction – like yanking her hand from his and running from the room. He had definitely not expected her to gaze at him, her expression open to him, longing pooling in her eyes. He struggled to sit up, to move himself towards her. She mimicked him, leaning in towards him, her mouth dropping open slightly, her gaze unfaltering. He took a shaky breath, aware that the room was abuzz with electricity. Here in this hospital bed he was about to get his moment with Beckett. Being held captive by a madwoman was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Apart from Alexis that was. It was as if his thoughts betrayed him, for at that moment when he reached his free hand up to brush along Beckett's cheekbone as they oscillated closer to one another, his daughter stretched and let out a loud yawn.

"Dad?" Alexis sat up, her eyes searching the dim room. "You're awake? You're awake!" she exclaimed, jumping from the cot. Castle's fingers lingered a second longer, Beckett's cheeks clouded in a slight blush, before he dropped them and let his head fall back to his pillow.

"I'm awake, sweetie. Come give your Dad a hug. I missed you," he smiled broadly, interrupted moment with Beckett or not, he was ecstatic to see his daughter. She didn't need to be told twice, already moving to the other side of the bed and crushing her body to his, kissing his forehead gently. He managed to maintain an awkward grip on Beckett's hand as he hugged Alexis, unwilling to lose the contact for even a moment if it gave her a chance to bow out and back away yet again. He had to keep the connection, it was just so tangible, like she was finally willing to admit she reciprocated his love. He wasn't going to miss that opportunity for the world, he was not letting go of her hand until she decided to do so, and for the moment, she seemed just as willing to keep her fingers tightly wound in his.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she sighed. "Seriously, I'm going to have the doctor install some sort of GPS tracker in your arm. You too, detective. We can't keep losing you guys," Beckett wasn't entirely sure if the girl was being serious or not, but she was flattered to be included nonetheless. Castle chuckled beaming at his daughter.

"I don't see why we'd bother considering we'd have you too look for us." He turned to Beckett with a grin, "I should have named her, Nancy, I'm telling you."

"Dad," Alexis rolled her eyes. "I'm no Nancy Drew."

"Oh, but Beckett told me that you were pertinent to the case. Apparently I'm being replaced at the precinct by the younger and more efficient Castle model," he said with a grin, pride echoing in his every word.

"Fair enough," she joked. "Dad, I'm sure I was more of a distraction. I'm just lucky Beckett let me hang around," she added seriously.

"I'm lucky Beckett lets me hang around too," Castle stated with a wink in Beckett's direction. She raised her free hand to stop him from continuing.

"Alexis, I couldn't have done it without you. I'm so glad you were there," sincerity rung in her every word. Alexis lit up with a smile and leaned across her father to pull Beckett into an awkward embrace. Castle oozed contentment. The relationship between Beckett and Alexis had suffered some rough moments in recent times and it had troubled Castle immensely. Watching them hug right in front of him filled him with such a sense of joy. He didn't want to intrude in their moment, but he wanted to be a part of it all the same. Using his free hand he wrapped it around the both of them and attempted to crush them to his chest. It was all awkwardness but so comfortable and _comforting_ to have his women lopsidedly straddling his hospital bed. He decided to test his luck and planted a kiss on both their cheeks. Alexis giggled before righting herself and Beckett quickly kissed him back. He was so tempted to move his face at the last second and accidently have her lips meet his, instead of his cheek, but it was a simple moment – not a romantic one, so he opted for some semblance of self-control. Alexis sat back down beside her father's bed, smiling gently at the sight before her. They both seemed so happy. She kind of felt bad for waking up and disturbing them, but she'd been kind of aware of the conversation going on around her and didn't fancy it going too far whilst she was in the room. Plus, she'd been really excited to see her dad. She had after all, been insanely worried about him. She half wanted to leave him alone with Beckett, but the urge to hear the rest of his story was too much.

"So Dad, tell me all about it," Alexis asked, concerned.

"I was walking home…" he started as Alexis shook her head and cut him off –

"I sort of heard that part, keep going from where you were up to," her admission caused both the adults in the room to blush slightly at the knowledge that Castle's teenage daughter had been listening to their conversation in its entirety. "It's not like you said anything entirely untoward," she giggled. Castle's expression softened and he smiled at the giggling girl beside him.

"I'm going to have to get you earplugs for sleeping," he smirked.

"Now that's disturbing. I think it's time you got back to the story," Alexis groaned as Beckett slapped Castle's forearm lightly. Castle opened his mouth to continue as Beckett's phone sounded. She read the text with a slight groan.

"Apparently I have to go into work this morning," she should probably give Castle and Alexis some quality family time together as well she added to herself as an afterthought.

"Don't go, Beckett, you'll miss the story. Tell Gates to stick it…" Castle whined.

"Hey," Alexis cut in, her tone stern. "Don't you dare say anything about Gates." Beckett bit back a giggle.

"Are you kidding me!" Castle exclaimed. "You really have replaced me at the precinct; you've got Gates on side and everything." At that Beckett exploded into fits of laughter.

"Dad," Alexis sighed. "Although she does a great job of hiding it, Gates is actually genuinely concerned with your wellbeing."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Castle grizzled. Alexis patted his shoulder, somewhat sympathetic and somewhat frustrated.

"She helped us find you…"

"She also didn't fire me for looking for you behind her back," Beckett interjected, eyes bright at the surprise on Castle's face. "I've got to go, but I'm sure Alexis can fill you in on how she was instrumental in solving the case of missing Richard Castle. I've just got to do some paperwork, I should be back in a couple of hours to take your official statement." Castle glanced at her hand still locked with his.

"I don't want you to leave," he whispered, eyes still glued to their hands. The tone in the room changed instantly. Alexis leaned back further into her chair and away from the bed, not wanting to intrude on her father's moment with his detective. Beckett leaned further towards Castle and gently caressed his brow.

"I know," she sighed. "I can't wait to close this case though. We'll have time afterwards for everything else."

"Everything? Promise?" he murmured, running his free hand along her arm. His fingertips leaving a burning trail in their wake.

"Yeah, Castle. I promise," with that she leant down and brushed his forehead with her lips. She untangled her fingers from his, glanced at Alexis with a smile and then she was gone. Castle's empty hand felt wrong, he wanted the weight of Beckett's fingers between his. He glanced at his empty hand, fingers still flexed like she was there, his brow furrowed. Alexis sighed and leaned towards him.

"She loves you Dad, you know that, right?" she queried gently.

"Did she tell you…" he choked out, shock clouding his face. Alexis shook her head.

"No, not in so many words. But I know she does. You should have heard her when _that_ woman called," Alexis reasoned. Castle spluttered –

"The madwoman, she called Beckett?" he gaped, breathless. Alexis nodded.

"Sure did. She was spouting some nonsense about you were hers," Alexis crinkled her nose in disgust, this was her father after all. "But, Beckett without hesitating for a moment, just said, he's mine, and kept repeating it over and over to the woman." Castle wanted to leap from the hospital bed and find Beckett. But she'd promised, they'd close the case and then talk about everything. He was so ready to give his statement.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN:**** Sorry for the lack of update yesterday. As much as my cavalier attitude may suggest otherwise, I actually care a great deal about uni – I'm what you cool kids would call a nerd. Once again, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story, I sincerely hope you enjoy this instalment. **

Chapter Seventeen

_He was so ready to give his statement. _

On that note, he felt fine, why did he ever have to hang round in the hospital any longer? He wanted to get back to the precinct, to _Beckett_. He was also somewhat interested in seeing the case closed. He was about as personally invested as he could be in getting this one wrapped up. No surprise there.

"Alexis, could you do your Dad a favour?" he smiled in earnest, taking her hand in his.

"Anything," she automatically responded and then regretted it as she noticed the troublemaking twinkle in her father's eyes. "Let me rephrase – anything, _within reason_," she drew out, emphasising the addition to her statement. Castle's grin widened.

"Clever girl. I was going to ask you to smuggle me from the hospital in a body bag. But, after you added that clause I've decided all I need you to do is find the head nurse, smile at her with your best puppy dog eyes and tell her you want to take your Dad home. No one can refuse your cuteness and I'll be free to bust outta' this joint," he said, adding a fake drawl to the end. Dramatic genes apparently all the more intact when he wasn't petrified.

"Fine," Alexis sighed with a mock eye roll. "But you'll owe me, buster!"

"I'll be forever in your debt, me-lady," he said, sincerity ringing in his every word. Alexis laughed.

"Aren't you already? I'm sure you've offered that to me before. Empty promises," she muttered with a grin she rose and made her way from the room. At the door, she turned around slowly, her expression blank. "Once I bust you out, you're not really going home are you?" she said with a sigh. "You'll be going to the precinct," she said more to herself than to him. Castle thought he detected a sting of bitterness in her tone. Before he had the chance to process it, she had slipped from the room, leaving him sure he had imagined it. Alexis knew that this case, of all cases, was one he had to be at the precinct to help Beckett close. It wasn't like he was avoiding home, they _needed_ him for this case. Besides, it meant extra time with Beckett which was a perk he was completely unwilling to relinquish.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Beckett left the hospital hesitantly, each step she took her heart tugged her in the opposite direction, back to Castle's bedside. She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration; clinginess was not in her nature. But under the circumstances, the weight of things still unsaid, she wanted to remain beside him searching his eyes for his unwavering devotion and finding the courage to declare her own affections. She wasn't fickle, but she worried the time apart from him would drag her back into denial, have her cement over the cracks in her wall, without giving him a chance to get his footing and join her on her side. She tried not to dwell on it – that sense of need to be with him would still be there when she got back from the precinct. He had gradually wormed his way into her heart and now he was trapped, there was no way to extract him; they were too intrinsically linked by time and experience. He was hers and she was his, though the declarations remained largely unspoken, they belonged to one another, there was no denying that now. She was after all a one-and-done kind of girl.

Beckett had barely made it to the precinct when her phone rang.

"Beckett!" She could practically feel him grinning down the phone. Her heart soared. She chided herself, it was just a phone call, she'd barely left him ten minutes ago for crying out loud. Still, she couldn't help herself; she was well and truly in over her head.

"Hey Castle," she answered affection seeping through her tone.

"Hi," he softened. She paused waiting for him to continue, after a few more seconds of silence in which she pictured him gazing off into the distance with a dopey grin, she interjected, a –

"So…"

"Oh right," he snapped out of it. "So, Alexis befriended Marissa, she's the head nurse on my floor. She's letting me checkout early," he announced gleefully. "I'll meet you at the station soon, just got to do the paperwork."

"Paperwork," she snickered. "That I'd like to see." He laughed in earnest. "Castle, shouldn't you go home and rest? You don't have to come in today," she begrudgingly told him, truth was, she wanted him there.

"You're kidding me, right. You guys need my statement, what better place to do that than the precinct. Duh," he beamed. Something about the idea of seeing Beckett again had put him in a stellar mood – not that he wasn't already happy just to be free of the madwoman's advances. Plus, he was really looking forward to Beckett's interrogation of the madwoman – and of him, for _entirely_ different reasons – jealous Beckett was one of his favourites. She mentally slapped herself, she'd already forgotten that they still needed Castle's statement today.

"Sounds good, Castle. I'll see you soon," she said with a soft smile playing on her lips.

Seeing her end the call, Ryan and Esposito approached her desk. Despite looking sleep deprived and just generally worn out, they were sporting matching grins.

"It makes for a much more pleasant working environment when Mum and Dad are getting on," Esposito said his under breath, but deliberately loud enough for Beckett to hear, with a wink at Ryan.

"Bro, it's never fun when you get us in trouble," Ryan whispered animatedly in mock horror. He grinned broadly at his partner.

"That's enough children," Beckett smirked. "Seriously, with you two and Castle I sometimes feel like I'm a nanny, not a cop…What did you get from the Lonkings?"

"The woman is a serious nut job. We haven't much more from her then wailings about being Mrs Castle. She keeps asking if he's okay," Esposito spat out. "It's like she doesn't get that the only reason he's in hospital is because of her in the first place." Joking aside, Castle was part of their team and Esposito clearly detested that this woman had put him in harm's way. She had no ounce of his sympathy, whether she was sane or otherwise.

"Yeah," Ryan agreed. "And Bryan, he's a real piece of work. Despite his glowing history of domestic violence, he's insisting that Tessa is the sole perpetrator, right down to the head wound. Said he saved Castle by wrestling the gun from Tessa right before we showed up…"

"I don't buy it," Esposito added. "Tessa doesn't seem to have any malice towards Castle, I think she'd lick him to death before she hit him." Beckett visibly shuddered at the thought.

"Sorry," Esposito shrugged. "I'm looking forward to you having a run at her Beckett. I have a feeling it'll make for an interesting conversation." Beckett was kind of tempted to glare at him for that, but he did have a point, she was intrigued to see how that particular interrogation would turn out herself. She wondered about the ethics of having Castle in the room with her. She chastised herself at the thought, she wanted him there for purely selfish reasons – just to show the madwoman how much he was hers – not for the pretence of solving the case.

"First things first, I'm going to need coffee," she sighed. She started off in the direction of the break room when Esposito caught her arm.

"Ah Beckett, I don't think that's going to be necessary," he nodded in the direction of the elevator. Castle was striding off, looking a little worse for wear but sporting an enthusiastic grin, two steaming cups of coffee in his hand.

"Oh," slipped from her mouth before she had the chance to register it.

"Good morning Beckett," fell from his lips as he resisted the urge to pull her into a crushing hug, instead settling with planting a coffee in her hands. He let his fingers linger on hers for a moment longer than usual and he released the cup. She bit back a blush, wanting so badly to link her fingers with his once again, surprised by the overwhelming need for contact, to be touching him somewhere, anywhere. Beside her Esposito cleared his throat. "Right, morning Espo, Ryan," Castle added with a nod.

"Good morning _soul mate_," Esposito sniggered.

"It's such a shame Beckett had to use your shirt to slow your blood loss…" Ryan threw in, Esposito finishing for him –

"Thankfully, we managed to salvage it. It's down in forensics just waiting for someone to take a photo of it and post it to your fan site," Esposito winked.

"I'd be happy to get on that, Boss?" Ryan added in mock innocence. Beckett opened her mouth to respond but Castle cut in –

"Very funny boys," he said, sarcasm evident in his tone. "Hey Beckett, I think Ryan and Esposito are jealous," he added with a mask of solemnity. Esposito cocked his eyebrow.

"Really bro?"

"Oh yeah. You're jealous that I'm ruggedly handsome enough to get snatched off the street by a woman. Bet that's never happened to either of you?" He smirked.

"Castle, I'm thinking that's a curse not a blessing," Ryan shot back with a grin.

"Definitely a curse," Esposito muttered. Beckett shooed them away and turned to Castle. His façade dropped a little and she could see the tiredness lining his face.

"Definitely a curse," he echoed softly, running his fingers through his hair. Beckett gazed at him for a moment longer.

"C'mon, let's get this case closed so we can get you home to bed," she smiled gently. She knew he was exhausted when he didn't leer at her over the bed connotation. She wasn't exactly aiming for subtly. She wasn't planning on going anywhere other than the loft tonight. His guestroom was about the furthest she was willing to venture away from him for the time being – the memory of not knowing where he was or if he was okay still too raw. He nodded at her words and reached for her hand, squeezing it quickly once before moving to let go. She caught his fingers as they slipped from hers and gave an answering squeeze. "I've got to go interrogate Tessa," she said with a sigh as she dropped his fingers.

"Can I come?" he automatically replied. "Wait, I'm not sure I want to come. She kind of creeps me out now that I think about it," he shuddered momentarily at the thought. "Yep, I'm sure. I'll pass."

"Viewing room," Beckett agreed softly. She was met with a nod from Castle.

Beckett made her way to the interrogation room, she paused and mentally steadied herself before she turned the handle. Tessa visibly stiffened at her entrance.

"You're the Nikki Heat cop," she spat out. "I don't want to talk to you. You ruined everything," she glared at Beckett. Beckett took in the appearance of the woman before her, Tessa's face was raw and tear-streaked, her words a stark contrast to the vulnerability in her eyes. The hostility to her words made Beckett unsure as to if she would be best to conduct the interview with a soft or hard hand. She paused for a moment, taking stock, before she plunged in.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN:** **So, I have chapter for you – joy. Unfortunately, the next update might be a couple of days away. I have some crazy plans of starting this assignment that's worth fifty percent sometime today – it is due next week after all. Let me know what you think (at this stage I'm not even sure what I think with regard to this chapter). On the bright side, I just had an idea for a major twist, so feel free to speculate/anticipate that… Thanks for reading/reviewing, you guys never fail to make my day! **

Chapter Eighteen

_She paused for a moment, taking stock, before she plunged in._

Despite the woman's blatant hostility, Beckett thought she was best taking advantage of her evident soft spot for Castle. She started gently. "Listen, Tessa. Castle is going to be just fine. He needed several stitches to the back of his head though. Who hit him with the gun? Was it you, because your husband is adamant that it was. I don't think you wanted to hurt Castle. If you just tell me who hit him we can get this all sorted out." She forced a slight smile, sitting across from the woman, placing herself at her level as she spoke. Tessa crossed her arms across her chest, her eyes flashed with anger.

"It's your fault he got hurt," she glared. Beckett fought the urge to roll her eyes. Ridiculous woman. She clearly had no sense of responsibility.

"When my team entered the room Castle already had trauma to the back of his head. Your husband was holding a gun with Castle's blood on it. Either he or you hit Castle. You need to tell me who," Beckett asserted, still keeping the tone of her voice friendly. Tessa merely shook her head.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The second the door to the viewing room closed behind Castle it was flung back open and Ryan and Esposito slipped into the room.

"This is going to get nasty," Esposito muttered. "I called Lanie, she's on her way up. She'd kill us all if she missed this. I already got a major talking to. That woman is crazy."

"Nope," Castle offered a brisk shake of his head, gesturing jerkily at Tessa with his thumb, "that woman is crazy. Lanie, she's just spirited," he grinned.

"Say another word, Richard Castle, I dare you," the door swung shut behind Lanie as she entered the room, placing herself between Castle and Esposito.

"Hey, I was defending your honour!" Castle exclaimed.

"Ah-huh… I'll believe that when I see it. Shush now, my girl is doing her thing," she frowned.

"My girl," Castle echoed under his breath. Lanie grinned at him, nudging him softly with her shoulder.

"Is she now?" she mouthed. Castle shrugged.

"Always has been." Lanie answered him with a grin.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Beckett was growing increasingly frustrated with Tessa's cavalier attitude. She obviously didn't care about the stitches in the back of Castle's head. It was time to change her approach. She rose from the seat, stood tall before leaning over the table, asserting her authority. The interrogation room was her domain, she could crack hardened criminals, this woman, she was nothing.

"Listen," she hissed. "We've already got you on kidnapping. You haven't got a leg to stand on there. You will face jail time. All I want to know is who to charge with assault – you, or your husband." Tessa sniffed, leant away from Beckett, her arms still folded across her chest, hostility rolling off her in waves.

"I want to talk to Mr Castle. I'll only tell him. He's my _husband_," she gloated. "Not Bryan," she added with a dismissive wave of her hand." Beckett groaned and turned to the glass behind her with a slight shrug. Tessa may have missed the brief rise and fall of Beckett's shoulders, but everyone behind the glass was attuned to her nuances, subtle or otherwise.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Esposito placed a hand on Castle's shoulder. "It's your choice, bro," he nodded toward the interrogation room. Castle debated it internally, he really didn't want to be in a room with the madwoman ever again, but the opportunity to help Beckett in whatever way possible was overpowering. He knew that as long as Beckett was in the room with him, he was safe. There was no way he would ever be back within Tessa's carefully controlled insanity. Besides, it would simply be multitasking; he could give his statement whilst aiding Beckett in getting Tessa's. It would probably help if he mentioned he was sure Bryan had been the one to cause his head wound – which he was reminded of by the dull ache throbbing away at the base of his head. He'd have to remember to take the pain meds the doctor had prescribed him as he checked out – and if the current pain level was any indication – soon. Stitches in his head were not shaping up to be his favourite experience. He wasn't game to complain though. It was nothing compared to what Beckett must have endured upon being shot, he suppressed a shiver at the thought. She really was the strongest person he knew – sometimes it didn't always serve to her advantage though, like when she used her personal strength to shut out the people who could love and support her. Dwelling on Beckett's strength was the prompt he needed to summon himself from the safety of the viewing room.

"I'll do it," he declared, offering a smile to Lanie that didn't quite reach his eyes as he stepped from the room.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Beckett noticed the handle to the door jerk, a warning that Castle was joining her in the interrogation. God, she didn't want to put him through this, but she was innately grateful to have him there with her. It made sense to have her partner at her side as she strove to coax a confession from the criminal she – by this point – detested. Castle plastered on a calm expression, masking the fear and dislike that trembled within him, and made his way slowly into the interrogation room, coming to rest standing tall beside Beckett. She nudged him gently with the back of her hand, without turning her eyes away from Tessa. Castle's posture relaxed slightly at the gesture, he let some of the tension drain away from his body.

"Tessa," he cleared his throat, attempted to cover the quiver in his voice. "You need to tell Detective Beckett the truth. I know it wasn't you who hit me. It was Bryan, right?" Tessa ignored his words, choosing instead to lean across the table her hand outstretched.

"Mr Castle," she crooned. "I'm glad you're okay, my darling." Before Beckett knew what she was doing, she had flung her hand across Castle's chest, pushing him out of the reach of Tessa's venturing fingers. A growl rose in her throat and she fought to suppress it. She knew Castle had noticed when the edges of his lips curved upwards unconsciously. He liked a jealous Beckett and they both knew it.

"Keep your hands to yourself," Beckett demanded, her eyes fiercely trained on Tessa's wandering appendage.

"But he's my husband, I'm allowed to touch him," Tessa purred. She regarded Beckett's arm still outstretched protectively across Castle's chest with an intense glare. Fury glinting her eyes as she added with a controlled hiss, "you need to get your hands off him."

"Tessa," Castle intervened, trying to diffuse the situation and get the interview back on track so it could be over with.

"Mrs _Castle_," she interjected, her eyes on Beckett now, shooting daggers. Beckett tightened her grip on Castle's chest in response. She had a feeling she wouldn't be letting go of Castle at all during this unconventional interrogation. The fact that the gun had both Tessa and Bryan's fingerprints on it the biggest stumbling block to a conviction that would stick. Now that Castle had confirmed her suspicions that Bryan was the perpetrator of the assault, a statement from Tessa attesting to that would make the case virtually airtight. All she had to do was endure the woman leering at _her_ man for the next couple of minutes. She released a steady breath, felt Castle do the same and attempted to redirect her focus to the task at hand. It was difficult to concentrate though, with the feel of Castle's sturdy chest warming her hand – and cheesy as it sounded, her heart. She fisted her fingers tighter into his shirt, searching for the motivation to continue.

"Tessa," Castle reiterated, his tone firmer. His hand coming to rest on the small of Beckett's back as he stood beside her at the table, his fingers tapping a gentle, nervous rhythm. She wanted to chastise him, but couldn't bring herself to. The tension in the room was palpable. _All_ kinds of tension. Least of all the erratic beat of her heart matching the rhythm of Castle's fingers, she was tempted to push him up against the wall right then and there. Simply to serve the purpose of really showing the madwoman just who Richard Castle desired – not because the urge to finally be his was almost overwhelming. Beckett was drawn back to reality as Tessa grunted in response to Castle's refusal to call her Mrs Castle.

"Mrs Lonkings," she attempted. "Mr Castle has identified Mr Lonkings as the perpetrator of his assault. Can you confirm this?" She fought to remain professional in the face of the tingles Castle's fingers were shooting up her spine.

"Oh, I might be able to confirm it. If Mr Castle can confirm that he married me. Also, I'd like a kiss," she smiled broadly at Castle. He was reminded of the feel of her lips, wet and terrifying, on his cheek and his stomach dropped.

"No deal," Beckett growled, snatching his shirt tighter still. Castle was afraid for a second it would rip, but what did he care. It wasn't even his shirt – he'd found an amiable doctor about his size and borrowed it and pants from his locker under the pretence of official police business. The doctor had been happy to oblige, especially after Castle agreed to make a substantial donation to his clinical trial. The things he did to shave a few minutes – and a trip to the loft – off the time it took him to get to the precinct. He was just lucky the doctor had good taste. Castle was fairly certain he had the same shirt at home for that matter. It probably wasn't the most opportune time to be mulling over his shared fashion taste with the anonymous doctor.

"Tisk, tisk. That's not the way it works. He's my husband!" Tessa was losing control now, her voice becoming shriller with each word.

"No," Beckett hissed, pressing herself closer into Castle's side. This was certainly shaping up to be one of the more unconventional interrogations that she'd played a part in.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN:**** Good news guys, I finished my assignment! Pretty excited about that. Starting the next one tomorrow, haha. Gee, uni is fun sometimes. However, I'm going to start working on the next chapter ASAP so it should be up soon. To my consistent reviewers, thank you so much! I have a tendency to **_**never**_** finish stories that I start writing but thanks to your encouragement I'm sticking with this one – I promise it will end someday ;) **

Chapter Nineteen

_This was certainly shaping up to be one of the more unconventional interrogations that she'd played a part in._

"Stop!" Tessa screeched in frustration as Beckett sidled closer to Castle. She began to rub her hands over her face, moaning in frustration, muttering under her breath. "He didn't say it would end up like this. He said it would work. He said I would get to be Mrs Castle. He said that Nikki Heat would lose. It's not fair." She started to weep in earnest, the flow of words becoming incomprehensible. Castle and Beckett exchanged a look of confusion, they didn't need to vocalise it to know they were asking the same question – _he said?_ Who was _he_? Beckett's initial reaction was to assume it was part of Tessa's delusion, an imaginary friend for the insane. If "someone" had told her to do it, then she could justify it to herself. It made sense. At this rate it looked like Tessa would have no problem getting off with an insanity plea. Castle, however, didn't jump to same assumption. He'd spent enough time with Tessa over the past couple of days to know that she didn't have a persuasive imaginary friend – not one that she conversed with outside of her head anyway.

As much as he loved the feel of Beckett pressed against him, he could see that Tessa clearly couldn't handle it, and if they were going to get anywhere with this interview it seemed like he needed to get Tessa back on side. He pushed Beckett gently away from him, gesturing with his hand to back off a little. He sat down opposite Tessa and cleared his throat, trying to pull her attention back to him. Beckett moved to the back of the room, arms crossed, watching intently. She looked tightly wound and ready to spring into action if Tessa so much as breathed in Castle's direction. Despite the serious attitude the situation warranted, Castle felt the urge to grin at the picture of protective Beckett guarding him with her all. When it came down to it, it was insanely hot.

"Who, Tessa? Who told you that you would get to be Mrs Castle?" He prompted gently. Her sobs gradually subsided into sniffles and she glanced up at him from under wet eyelids, lifting her hands from her face.

"Man," she choked out, her voice thick with emotion. She fell back into hysterical muttering. Castle caught snatches of it, something about it being wrong and not working out according to plan. Personally, Castle was incredibly glad it hadn't worked out to plan. He didn't want to imagine what else was part of the twisted plan that he had been lucky enough to evade thanks to Beckett's rescue.

"A man?" Castle clarified. "What's his name?"

"Dun…no…" she wailed.

"You don't know," Castle sighed. She shook her head, tears tracking messy lines down her face. "What did he tell you to do? Where did you meet him?" He was exploding with questions, his bit on his tongue to suppress them from all rushing out and overwhelming the already hysterical woman in front of him. He found himself getting pulled in by the story once again; he was excited by the idea that there was more to it than just a crazy housewife. Tessa continued to sob; she didn't seem unwilling to answer Castle's questions, just unable to in the condition she was currently in. Castle took a chance, turned to Beckett. "Can you get her some water?" he asked softly. She shook her head ferociously; there was no way in hell she was leaving Castle alone in a room with this lunatic. Castle fought a smile at her reaction. He gestured over her shoulder at the observation room behind the mirror and Beckett nodded her agreement. She tapped her fingers on the glass.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Not it," the words rushed from Esposito's mouth as Castle gestured to the observation room.

"Not it," Ryan echoed. Lanie rolled her eyes.

"You are such children. Seriously."

"What?" Esposito whined. "I just don't want to miss a second of this; it's just way too interesting."

"Besides, we should be here in case something goes wrong and they need the backup," Ryan chimed in. Lanie laughed.

"You really think Beckett and Castle couldn't handle one middle-aged woman if she got aggressive? Imma tell her you said that. You're both so dead."

"Aren't you meant to be getting water?" Esposito replied with a cheeky grin. Lanie smacked him gently across the back of the head.

"Fine," she said with a sigh as she made her way to the door. "But, if I miss anything good…" she trailed off, leaving the boys to fill in the threat themselves.

X-X-X-X-X-X

There was a soft tap on the door and Beckett answered it, her brow furrowing in confusion as Lanie's face came into view.

"What?" Lanie whispered. "You're not leaving me out of the loop this time," she added with a wink. Beckett softened, offering her friend a small smile.

"Thanks," she murmured taking the water from her.

"You know I'm here for you, girl."

"I meant thanks for the water, not you crashing my interrogation," she smirked. Lanie grinned and disappeared from view pulling the door shut.

Having caught much of their hushed conversation despite Tessa's sobs Castle mentally rolled his eyes, biting back a grin. Lanie was good for Beckett; she was good for all of them. Beckett gently placed the cup of water on the table before hesitantly pulling back to the corner of the room. She brushed Castle's arm as she drew her back, he shivered at her touch. Tessa missed the exchange still weeping ardently into her hands, but Beckett noticed and Castle could practically feel her smirk burning a hole in the back of his head. Her lingering gaze reminded him of the dull throb that was still echoing through his head from the stitched wound and he sighed. Head wounds were not his idea of a good time. Best case scenario, he ended up with a cool scar for all this pain. He pushed the water across the table until it nudged Tessa's forearm. She grudgingly lifted her head from her hands and shaking, took the offered beverage. She drank breathily, her sobs subsiding as her focus shifted to the task at hand – drinking without choking. Castle waited until she'd finished her drink and taken a few more deep breaths.

"What did the man tell you to do?" he inquired gently. She shook her head enthusiastically. "Okay… Can you tell me where you met him then?"

"Mmmhmm. Book club," she shakily replied.

"Book club?" Castle echoed, confused.

"Yeah…" She paused for a moment, calming gradually with each breath she drew. Her speech was much more coherent as she began again. "The Richard Castle book club, New York chapter. We meet every couple of months," she shrugged. "People get it there, how we're meant to be together. This one man, he really got it. He told me that I should stop talking about how you were my soul mate and make it happen." She stopped, smiled at Castle through her tear-laden eyes. "He was nice to me. He really believed I could do it. He joked about taking you, just…just to prove it to you, how much I love you. I guess it took it as a challenge." Castle was silent as he digested the information. Why on earth had a stranger prompted Tessa to kidnap him? It was nonsensical.

"Why?" he didn't fully realise he'd spoken to word out loud until Tessa replied with arched eyebrows.

"He really hated your Nikki Heat detective. Like I do. Another thing we had in common," she smirked. Castle fought back a grimace. "He helped me plan it all. He gave me the anaesthetic I used to knock you out. He told me, the best way to get to someone was to hurt the people that they loved. That's why he helped me do it. That's why he had the idea."

"Tessa," Castle pleaded. "You need to tell me his name." He meant it. If there was someone, _someone else_, out there who wanted to hurt Beckett he had to know. He had to stop this man. It was suddenly immensely more important to him to solve this case. Taking into account the importance he already placed on bringing justice to this particular case the revelation was significant. What if it was someone who was connected to Joanna Beckett's murder? He focused all his attention back on Tessa, hoping she could read the desperation in his eyes. The need to know.

"No, I don't want to," Tessa shook her head menacingly. "He's the only one who understands. He helped me." Beckett could clearly see that Castle was getting further interrogating Tessa than she had been, but she was becoming increasingly frustrated by the slow progression of the conversation. Someone was out to get her, _through Castle_. The thought was unbearable. She needed a name. She had brought this on Castle, it was all her fault. It seemed much simpler when it was merely Castle's ruggedly handsome disposition that had gotten him into this mess. She debating whether to take control of the interrogation once again, shifting forward slightly and promptly freezing where she stood as Castle's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Please," Castle implored. "I need to know his name." Tessa debated it, her eyes flicking from Castle to the table beneath her hands over and over.

"No," she said, less insistently this time. "I don't want to," she added with a whine. Castle's need to solve the case overpowered his revulsion as he leant towards Tessa and took her hand gingerly in his. A low inaudible hiss escaped from Beckett's lips at the gesture. Castle beseeched Tessa with his eyes, holding her gaze as he softly continued –

"We made vows this morning, Mrs Castle. I need one thing from you. I need you to tell me this man's name. Then we can be happy. It will all be over." The grin that lit up Tessa's face was infectious – mad cow disease in Beckett's surly opinion – and she wrapped her free hand around the one that Castle was already holding.

"Oh darling. I knew you'd come round." She peppered his hand with kisses. Castle fought nausea as he pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently in return. He couldn't bring himself to catch Beckett's eye though he could feel her staring intently at him. He focused himself on Tessa, the madwoman beaming at him, her tears forgotten. "We're going to be so happy together," she sighed contently, gazing lovingly at him.

"We are," Castle agreed – externally anyway. "The name?" he reminded her gently.

"Oh, yes, yes. His name was Peter Dunnings," she smiled, eyes still locked on Castle's. Beckett gasped.

"That's not possible," she breathily drew out.


	20. Chapter 20

**AN:**** I'm having a lot of fun writing this story. If you guys are having half as much fun reading it then I'm a happy girl. Now, serious question – would you like the typical Castle admitting his secret investigating cue-fight-scene storyline at some point? Or perhaps Castle admitting his secret without fight scene? Or are you cool with pretending Castle's secret totally isn't relevant to his developing relationship with Beckett/this story? Personally, I can imagine all the options… Suggestions are invaluable! To my reviewers, you manage to make me plaster a silly grin across my face that lasts for hours; I love it, keep it coming and thank you. Special thanks to White Pawn, because seriously, wow! You manage to blow me away every time you review. Apologies to all for the rather long intro – if you haven't picked up on it, I have the tendency to be a bit of a rambler… Anyway, carry on… **

Chapter Twenty

"_That's not possible," she breathily drew out. _

Castle ripped his hand from Tessa's and spun to face Beckett, already on his feet moving towards her before Tessa had the chance to process her now empty hands.

"Who is he, Beckett? We'll get him," Castle growled, his arms on Beckett's shoulders, forcing her to look at him. As he waited for her to respond he almost shook her, impatient to know what exactly they were up against. He gazed at her forcefully, registering her pale, shock-infused expression. "Talk to me, Kate," he pleaded gently, running his hands up and down her arms. "Whatever it is, we can handle it – together," he breathed the last word, his tone a strange mixture of reassurance and fear. Tessa processed the events in the room faster than Beckett. She was staring at her empty hands incredulously.

"Honey? Come back," she gasped, clearly confused by the turn of events. She had expected things to work out with Castle now that he had begun treating her properly, like a husband ought to treat his wife. But there he was, touching that stupid detective. Castle ignored her, his focus entirely on Beckett. Tessa's usefulness in the investigation had expired, he had no further obligation to give her an ounce of his attention – not that he had ever wanted to in the first place.

Tessa's words reached Beckett, however, and brought her back into the present. She gently brushed Castle's jaw with her fingertips and looked around him, her eyes boring into Tessa's.

"I told you he was mine," she smiled, her tone deadly serious. She brushed his jaw again and Castle captured her fingers before they had the chance to leave his face and brought them to his lips, pressing a chaste kiss on each of her fingertips.

"All yours," he readily admitted, Tessa's presence already forgotten. He promptly was reminded of it though, as she lunged at them with a guttural scream. Beckett flung Castle from her path and caught the other woman's hands swiftly before pushing her to the ground.

"Espo. Ryan," she grunted. "Can you deal with this. We're done. I've got to fill Castle in on Dunnings." Before she had finished speaking the boys were in the room, cuffing Tessa once again and successfully restraining her. As they pulled her from the room, Beckett threw out a brief, "Enjoy prison," and hoped she'd never see the woman again (her trial withstanding).

"Dunnings…" Castle prompted, his tone puzzled.

"It's not possible," Beckett repeated her earlier admission. "C'mon, walk and talk, I need to get to my desk." Castle simply nodded and extended his hand to her. She hesitated for a moment, concerned about the need to remain professional at work. She could see how desperately he needed this though, the small gesture of hope to tide him over until they could really talk. The past couple of days had been trying on him – on the both of them – to say the least. She clasped his outstretched hand and allowed him to lead her to her desk as she poured out the story of Peter Dunnings. "Dunnings is not a good guy," she started with a sigh. "We suspected him of a bunch of minor crimes over the years but no conviction ever stuck. Finally we, well really I, arrested him for murder and not just one person. He was given a life sentence. There is no way on earth it could actually be him," she mused. "Surely it has to be someone connected to him though, it can't just be a coincidence. How many Peter Dunnings can there be in the world?" Castle shrugged.

"I'm sure we could Google it," he hesitantly threw out. Beckett responded with her penchant death stare, the one she reserved just for him.

"Hypothetical question, Castle. There's only one Peter Dunnings with a grudge against me," she grimaced. She hadn't liked dealing with Dunnings. She had been glad when the conviction had come through, that was a man who did not deserve to return to society at any time in his life. A monster was a more befitting term than man. Castle took in her grim expression and rubbed gentle circles on her hand with his thumb. Her lips turned upward slightly at the gesture. She reached her desk and gently dropped his hand, moving to her computer and tapping away wildly on the keyboard. Castle took his usual seat beside her desk and she grinned at him with her eyes, her lips pursed slightly. The normalcy of him being there helped to dull the fear of whatever Dunnings had planned for her. Obviously he was powerful if he had managed to persuade Tessa to act out her delusions. That took some serious forethought.

"Boss, what's our next move?" Esposito called across the bullpen, signalling the boys return to the room.

"I remember Dunnings," Ryan added as they joined Beckett and Castle. "He was nasty." His comment was met with a wave of nods from the group. Beckett extended her hand, a casual request for silence.

"Listen. Records confirm that Dunnings is still in jail. So he most definitely cannot be acting alone. Castle and I will head down to the prison and see what visitors Dunnings has been getting lately. Can you guys check the prison phone records from Dunnings block, see anything pops." She rose from her chair, spinning to grab her jacket from behind her. Before she'd had the chance pull it on, Castle was gently drawing it from her fingers, holding it open for her to step into. She rolled her eyes at him a little, but acquiesced. She didn't regret allowing him the movement as the brush of his fingers through her jacket sent electricity curling to the pit of her stomach. She bit her lip to suppress the contented sigh that threatened to escape. He chanced a brush of her collarbone as he retracted his fingers and found her shiver slightly from the touch. He gave a little half-grin in response, before starting towards the elevator, with her hot on his heels. Or more like, hot _in_ her heels he thought with a smirk.

As they rode the elevator together the atmosphere was a convoluted mix of palpable tension and utter contentment at having Castle home and safe. They leaned against the back wall, shoulders flush against one another. Neither seemed anxious to break the silence although they were both acutely aware that much needed to be said. Riding cosily in an elevator with Castle was almost enough to make Beckett forget about the danger still at hand. Naturally, she hadn't forgotten at all – Castle was at risk, after all – but having him there, tucked beside her, it was easy to pretend that everything was back to normal. Better than normal, she mused, as his breathing caused his shoulder to move against hers, sending butterflies spiralling madly rising from her stomach to her throat, resulting in her breath hitching momentarily in response. The silence lingered as they made their way to the cruiser, both revealing in the shared quiet moment. A break from the stress of the past couple days.

Castle was first to break the silence as Beckett slowly manoeuvred the car into the typical city traffic that had increased exponentially since she had driven to the precinct that morning. It seemed like this was going to be a fairly slow trip, and she was tempted to use the siren but Castle's voice cut through her frustration so she turned her attention to him.

"So, I still haven't told you my favourite part about being held captive by a madwoman," he smiled softly, his tone held a semblance of jest but his eyes were serious.

"You've got to be kidding me, Castle," Beckett shot back dryly. "You have a favourite part?" She asked incredulously, eyebrows raised.

"Apart from you rescuing me, yeah," he replied with a shrug.

"You do remember what you were wearing, right?" She smirked, meeting his eyes. They sparkled gently at her tone.

"Beckett," he groaned dramatically. "So not what I want to dwell on." She shrugged, her lips rising in a cheeky grin.

"You totally pulled it off, Castle. So cute," she teased.

"You think I'm cute," he gasped in mock surprise. She bit her lip, shaking her head gently, he frowned in response. "Tease," he muttered. She grinned brightly.

"Aren't you telling me about your favourite moment of being kidnapped by, perhaps, one of the craziest woman I've ever had the displeasure of sharing an interrogation room with?" she pressed.

"Oh yeah," he softened instantly, sincerity ringing in his every word. "I got to listen to a phone message that literally took my breath away." Beckett's immediate response was a sharp intake of breath. Castle hesitantly dropped his gaze, giving her a moment to process.

"You heard that? I didn't think you would…" she broke away, gazing at him to find his eyes averted to the floor of the car. She summoned her courage. It seemed like it was easier to chase down an armed suspect then to be honest with Castle at times. "I'm glad you heard it, Castle," she added, her voice strong. "I meant _every_ word."

Castle couldn't contain his grin. If she hadn't been driving a car he would have pulled her into his arms in that instant. He settled for beaming at her like a crazy love-struck teenager. He didn't even try to mask the affection that he knew was spilling from his eyes. She caught his gaze and her face blossomed into a mirroring smile. It was the single most beautiful thing Castle had ever seen. It knocked the breath right out of him, but he didn't even seem to sense it, he was too caught in the moment – in her utter perfection. He still hadn't heard her mutter a return, I love you too, but it didn't matter, this was most definitely enough for now. Progress was still progress and this felt like a pivotal move in the right direction. If he died now he would die a serenely happy man.

"I thought you would be mad," she admitted hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. "That I lied about remembering what you said to me in the cemetery."


	21. Chapter 21

**AN:**** So, the site is failing to send out alerts at the moment. If it gets round to sending out one for this chapter, make sure that you've read Chapter Twenty first. The story may not flow so well if you skip it… **

**You know, for a second there (you'll see where), I was thinking about having someone snatch Alexis too, just to really drive home the whole Castle doesn't spend enough time at home with his family anymore point. I couldn't bring myself to do it though. That's a whole other story… **

Chapter Twenty-One

"_I thought you would be mad," she admitted hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. "That I lied about remembering what you said to me in the cemetery." _

Castle paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. She was right; there had been an initial sting of anger over her hiding the truth from him, lying to him all those times he asked her if she remembered. But, in light of their current situation, the forced separation that they had just painstakingly endured, it didn't matter. She was just trying to protect her heart. Sure, it was the coward's way, but evidently she needed time. It wasn't like she backed away from him, if anything, she'd been urging them closer together in recent months. Holding his hand gently at opportune moments, nudging his arm as they walked side-by-side, saving her smiles just for him. She hadn't pushed him away. Her urgency, her words in the message came back to him, "_You need to know I feel the same way._" He grinned at her.

"I'm not mad, Beckett," he replied rather enthusiastically. "I told you, your message was my favourite part, remember? And not just because the rest of it sucked so badly." She beamed back at him and dropped her hand from the wheel to brush his quickly.

"Thank you," she breathed out. "You never cease to amaze me you know, Castle," she added with a comical wink – coupled with the sincerity in her tone it was a strange combination. It was very Beckett, a genuine gesture lightened by her teasing. Castle wanted so desperately to kiss her. He started a mental mantra of _case first, case first_, running over and over in his mind. Screw that, if they were going to be stuck in traffic for this long…

It was time for some action. He mentally chastised himself as images of the wrong kind of action – for the present time – played in his mind. He was going to go old school. After all, they were an _officer_ and a _gentleman_. This gentleman had class. He yawned and threw his arm over the back of Beckett's headrest, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder at a rather awkward angle. She giggled – hysterically. Drawing one of her hands up to her mouth as if to reign her laughter in and falling short.

"Amazed?" Castle drawled, in his best impression of a true old fashioned gentleman – from Texas. She laughter harder still, pulling an arm around her ribs as waves of laughter continued to overwhelm her.

"Ouch," she choked out. "You have got to be kidding me, Castle!" She paused, took a deep breath and waited for her giggles to subside. "You made my face hurt," she accused, still grinning.

"Oh c'mon, I just wanted to lighten the mood. Rushing off to talk to a guy who's got it out for you – for _us_, so not going to be fun," he whined in mock protest. Truth be told seeing her smile was worth the lame move. Beckett was a veritable cesspool of emotions as his casual remark. She'd been too worried about his reaction to the message and had pushed the case from her mind. Insane worry clouded her mood instantly. Then there was his blasé use of the word _us _that turned her innards to wobbling jelly in a second, she found that perhaps despite her better judgment she liked it – a lot. The fact he'd kind of made himself look like a bit of a fool just to get her to smile, it was quite frankly incredible. For a man with a famed playboy persona he was selfless, a character trait he'd proven over and over in the past. The hand, warm, solid, and softly running along her shoulder, reassuring her that they were okay, that her admission hadn't broken him, reminding her that he still held hope for an _us_, that was what she felt the most in that moment. Him. Constant. Always. She ached to tell him that she loved him too. However, in a cruiser on the way to prison to interrogate barely a shadow of a human didn't seem like the most opportune moment. _Case first_, she chanted to herself over and over again, little realising that her thoughts were mirroring his exactly.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Alexis woke up gradually, blearily rubbing her eyes. She took in her surroundings; she was curled uncomfortably on the couch in the loft. The television softly playing the DVD menu repeatedly, she was going to be sick of that song tomorrow.

"Dad," she called, pulling herself into a sitting position. There was no response. She knew he was acutely attuned to her. If he was home, he undoubtedly would have heard. She clenched her teeth and breathed out a long sigh. It was all fine and dandy that he was at the precinct reassuring Beckett that he was safe and ready to get back to work – or whatever it was he did, fawning over the beautiful detective for the most part, Alexis wasn't naive – but sometimes she needed reassuring too. She tried not to let it bother her too much. She knew how much her father and Beckett cared for one another. Watching Beckett stress and search for her father was enough to convince her once and for all of that. Still, she wished he'd come home today. Wished Beckett had sent him home. He had a head wound after all. He needed to rest and recuperate. Beckett could have come; Alexis wouldn't have begrudged the woman that. But, she could picture the perfect day, it essentially involved hanging out on the couch watching movies, and creating new eclectic ice-cream flavours to expand their palates with. None of this not knowing what the hell her dad was doing and wondering if he had managed to get himself into a dangerous situation yet again. No, this most certainly was not the day she had in mind after checking her injured father out of the hospital.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Beckett and Castle approached the small room the prison had provided them for the interview of Dunnings. Castle had unsubtly settled his hand on the small of Beckett's back and was revelling in the fact that she hadn't shrugged him off instantly. It made for an optimistic change of pace. As they reached the door and peered in the window to see Dunnings already seated, his posture casual, Beckett drew back, frowning.

"Something's off," she muttered, as much to herself as anyone else. The burly prison guard beside the door shot her a puzzled look.

"What?" Castle hedged.

"I'm not sure," she admitted with a sigh, running her fingers through her hair loosely. "It looks like Dunnings, but…"

"Something's off," Castle finished.

"Yeah," she breathed. The guard continued to watch the exchange, his expression dismissive. He obviously thought the cop and her too-well-dressed-to-be-a-cop sidekick had lost the plot.

"Are ya's going in or what?" he gruffly interrupted. Beckett turned her eyes to him, straightened her shirt and gave a brisk nod. He half-nodded at her in response and turned his key into the lock. "I'll be out here if ya need me," he muttered. Castle nodded his acknowledgment of the offer as he followed Beckett into the dingy room.

"Detective," Dunnings stated appreciatively, his eyes obviously raking over her form. Castle passionately loathed the man already.

"My face is up here," Beckett's voice was terse.

"No thanks, your body will do just fine," he whispered suggestively. It took every fibre of Castle's being to prevent him from leaning over the table and decking the guy. His next option was pulling Beckett from the room and away from the criminal leering at her. He managed to restrain himself from taking that measure as well. He was sure Beckett wouldn't appreciate the gesture, no matter how sweet and well-intended it was.

Beckett could see that Dunnings predatory sexual nature was testing Castle's resolve. She turned to look at him briefly, her eyes pleading, _stay calm_. He grimaced, his way of saying fine but I'm not happy about this, without so many words. She forced a brief hint of a smile his way. Dunnings watched the exchange intently.

"Cute," he mused, his tone rich with mockery. "I see you've got a new boyfriend. Didn't you have two last time? How is sweet little Irish? Took a shine to him, I did." Beckett choose to ignore him.

"Does the name Tessa Lonkings mean anything to you?" Her voice was hard, every bit the professional.

"No time for formalities, Detective," he grinned, raising an eyebrow. "But, we've got so much catching up to do."

"Tessa Lonkings," Beckett drew out, emphasising the words sternly.

"Hmm, how about we play a game. Every question I answer. You drop a button," he leered, eyes fixed hungrily on Beckett's chest, every bit the creep he'd been described as. Castle growled before he could control himself. Beckett squeezed his knee under the table. A silent support of the outrage he was demonstrating as well as a plea to reign it in. He dropped his hand to hers and squeezed it tightly. Possessive and angry. It rolled off him in waves. Dunnings chuckled. "This is fun already," he added with a wink.


	22. Chapter 22

**AN****: Sorry for the delay getting the update up, what can I say, life has a tendency to be time-consuming. Good news though, I should be able to update fairly regularly this weekend, my housemate will be away & she tends to distract me with a social interaction a lot of the time (rude, I know). Thanks to everyone who's reading, alerting & reviewing – you guys are the best! Also, I came up with the idea for this chapter before this week's episode, crazy how in-sync the Castle writers & I are ;) Now remind me why they can't make Castle & Beckett get married already? **

**Side note, to White Pawn, they say the making of genius is in creating new words – Shakespeare did it all the time ;) **

Chapter Twenty-Two

"_This is fun already," he added with a wink._

Beckett rolled her eyes, clearly not amused. Castle tightened his grip on her hand under the table, obviously, he shared her disapproval.

"You're going to pay you know," Dunnings smirked, in the same carefree tone. Like they were casual acquaintances catching up on old times, friends even. There was a relaxed tone to his demeanour that Beckett found rather unhinging. After all, they had gotten this far. Clearly they were onto him. He should be afraid. Although, the man who was already in jail for life had little to fear she justified as an afterthought.

"No," she asserted, her tone hard. "You're the one who's going to pay. Tessa turned on you. We will get you for this." With that Dunnings roared with laughter. He slapped his hands on the table as he rocked up and down, his whole body shaking.

"You don't know how wrong you are Detective," he bellowed, after returning to some semblance of control. "Damn. This is funnier than I imagined it. Although, it is a letdown to see that your boyfriend's still around, I really thought this conversation would just be the two of us… More intimate you know," he finished with a leer.

"I'm not going anywhere," Castle interjected fiercely. Beckett drawing her nails into his knee to silence him. Sweet, foolish man. She didn't need him to stake his claim of her in this room. Hypocritical of her, considering her own desire to prove the depth of their connection during his interview with Tessa. But this was different; she had to be the dominant one in this interrogation.

"Listen Peter," she drew out through clenched teeth. He cut her off before she could continue –

"Oh no, call me Dunnings, it's more accurate," he grinned. Castle found the expression menacing. His jaw tightened. He wasn't sure he was going to survive this conversation. He was experiencing an overwhelming desire to throw the man through the wall, in a gesture of Neanderthal proportions. Somehow, well-intended as it was, he didn't see that gesture boding well for any of them. There was the small issue that Dunnings was probably physically stronger for a start, then there was the fact Beckett would properly kill him anyway if he tried anything too clever like that.

Dunnings words unstuck Beckett momentarily. What on earth had he meant by that? How was it less accurate to call him by his first name? Just plain weird. Maybe Peter was too soft a name and he went by something more hardcore in prison, like Butch or Killer. She wished she could voice her thoughts to Castle in that moment, he would undoubtedly come up with some better names. Her creativity was really not flowing – c'mon Butch, really? Pathetic. Dunnings was chuckling to himself again, obviously finding something hilarious. Beckett felt like a dopey kid who'd missed the joke, she found it quite frustrating.

"Got something you want to share?" she challenged, her eyes boring into Dunnings, humourless.

"It's just that you've got no idea, Detective, none!" he spluttered returning to full-fledged laughter. Beckett and Castle shared equal looks of confusion. Silent questions filled their gaze, and remained unanswered in the midst of the apparent hilarity – a joke in which they were clearly missing the punch line. After his laughter had subsided, Dunnings regarded Castle carefully. "I am really pissed to see you here though," he mused. "You really would have done the most damage. I don't think anyone else would have the same effect," his words were cryptic but the message was clear to Beckett – you wanted to hurt her, you went through Castle. Even a criminal in prison could see that. "I could have gone after your father, Detective. But leaving you as an orphan just didn't seem very kind. Now, I suppose, in light of recent events, I could always reconsider." This time Beckett was the one growling and hissing and Castle was the one restraining her.

"I will end you," she spat out, emphasising each word pointedly.

"Oh, I don't think so, Detective. You'd have to find me first," he winked, an evil glint in his eye. He returned to chuckling. Beckett was so pissed she almost missed it.

"Huh?" she managed to get out through her clenched teeth. He laughed harder still.

"This is totally worth jail!" Dunnings grinned. "I didn't think it would be this fun."

"What the hell?" Beckett ground out. Castle gasped, drawing his free hand over his mouth.

"Something's off, remember, Beckett?" he turned to her, the spark of solving the unsolvable in his eyes.

"What?" she repeated slowly, turning to face him.

"It's Odette all over again," he hinted, and she was there with him, understanding dawning on her face.

"Oh," popped from her lips. "Oh God." Castle nodded solemnly. She turned to Dunnings – or, whoever – her expression the fiercest Castle had seen it yet. He understood, if it wasn't Dunnings in here, then he was somewhere out there in the city, where her father was, his mother, Alexis – their loved ones. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"No, no, Detective. It's much more fun if you guess…" And guess she did. She threw her mind back to the case, the trial, plunged through her memories, searching. Then she knew. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt. The face forced its way to the front of her memory. The sharp intake of breath alerted Castle to her discovery.

"You know," he breathed, a mixture of surprise and admiration. She truly was an incredible detective, she had known something was off before even entering the room. She nodded sharply.

"Dunnings," she began and Castle startled. What the heck? How did that work? They'd just come to the conclusion that this wasn't Dunnings, the whole Odette people-switching thing. He suppressed the urge to whine, he really thought he'd cracked the case wide open there. Dammit. Beckett ignored the furrow she noticed on Castle's brow – she almost grinned, she'd stumped him. "When did you switch places with Peter?" she finished, leaving Castle gaping. He resisted the urge to hi-five her and cry, called it. When Dunnings spoke again the carefree teasing was gone from his tone.

"Bravo, Detective. You ruined my brother's life. This, jail, is a small price to pay for helping him get revenge," his voice was festering rage. It seethed with disdain.

"You really are a fool," Beckett frowned. "You realise that your brother is going to leave you in here to rot for the rest of your life while he goes back to murdering innocent people."

"He never, _never_, killed those people, Detective," Dunnings hissed, clenching his fists in clear frustration. "You framed him. You ruined his life. You will _pay_."

"No," Beckett replied calmly. "Don't worry, we'll reunite you with your brother soon. The two of you will get to spend the rest of your lives in here. Let's go, Castle." She rose from her seat, grasping Castle's forearm and drawing him up with her.

"Wait," Dunnings growled. "You have to know, I've been waiting, waiting for you to find someone you cared as much for as I loved my brother. You needed to know how it felt. Once I saw the way you looked at him," he gestured jerkily at Castle, "I knew it was time."

"Yeah, well, looks like that plan didn't work out too well for you," Beckett threw over her shoulder as she led Castle from the room.

"It's not over yet!" rang in her ears as the door slammed to a shut behind them.

"He's right you know," Castle murmured gently.

"What, about every man and his dog picking up on this thing between us, Castle?" she sighed. "We haven't even defined it for crying out loud!" She was becoming increasingly frustrated, he could tell, he could always tell.

"No, well, yes. But, I meant about it not being over. We've got to find the actual Dunnings." He paused for a moment, softening his tone even more. "But, Beckett, this thing between us, we don't have to define it, not yet. Not til you're ready," he conceded, eyes pleading with her not to run. He was trying to reassure that it would all be okay, that much she could tell, whether or not she could actually believe him she wasn't sure – yet.

He moved to place his hand on her lower back as they stepped away and she quickened her pace as subtly as possible, just out of his reach. She didn't want the looks from the prison guards. She was overwhelmed by a sudden wave of frustration, every man and his dog needed to butt out of her relationship with Castle. Especially if all it was doing was putting Castle closer to harm's way. She couldn't do that to him. She couldn't do that to Alexis. She couldn't do that to herself. There was no way in hell she would survive if anything happened to him. She knew that well enough by now. So, if distancing herself from Castle was the only thing she could do to help ensure his safety then she would do it – begrudgingly and sullenly, but done nonetheless. She had to give him that, even though she felt as if it would tear her to pieces to be apart from him. It was paramount – him, alive, well, heart beating – it was all that mattered.

He had noticed her pull away, but he wasn't going to comment on it – yet. He'd been pushing his luck lately as it was. He was already counting his blessings to have touched her more in the past day than he had in months. It was a blessing and curse, because now that he'd increased the little brushes and lingering caresses, he didn't think he could reign them back in. She was intoxicating and he had to feel her, present and there with him. He walked as close to her as he could without touching, it was a simple form of torture that left him reeling and wanting for more.

He was about to ask what was wrong. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know though, in case she pushed him further away in response. That was not a bearable option. However, as they stepped from the prison and back into the cruiser, her phone shrilled to life and she pulled it swiftly from her pocket and drew it her ear in a lithe, fluid motion.

"Beckett," she answered simply. Castle threw caution to the wind and leaned into her, their cheeks practically touching, under the guise of listening to the phone call. She didn't pull away from him, which he took as promising. Maybe he had misinterpreted the moment before. She might not have noticed that he'd reached for her; it could have just been bad timing that she moved away in that instant. He felt foolish for not considering it earlier. Things had been going so smoothly. There was no need to stress; Beckett wasn't drawing away from him yet again. They were okay. Somehow, behind all his internal reassurances there was still a lingering undercurrent of fear.

"Yo Boss, there's some suspicious financial activity at Dunnings prison. One of the guards had a nice sum of money appear out of nowhere a couple of months back," Esposito informed her.

"That must have been when they made the switch," she mused in response.

"When they what?" Esposito choked.

"Mmm," she hummed. "Dunnings brother is in prison for him. Peter Dunnings, hardened criminal, he's back on the street. Tessa wasn't lying."


	23. Chapter 23

**AN:**** If there are more mistakes than usual in this chapter, my bad. I've had a couple of beers tonight and somehow I don't see that increasing my writing/proof-reading talent exponentially. But nonetheless, I wanted to update so I hope this isn't bordering on nonsensical at all. To all my readers & especially my reviewers, in terms of love languages I'm a words of encouragement kind of gal & you guys, well, suffice to say, I feel loved and encouraged. Thank you! **

Chapter Twenty-Three

"_Dunnings brother is in prison for him. Peter Dunnings, hardened criminal, he's back on the street. Tessa wasn't lying."_

"Dunnings brother?" Ryan chimed in. Apparently Beckett was on speaker.

"That's what I said," she replied, her tone serious, no hint of teasing.

"Don't you guys remember him from the trial?" Ryan couldn't mask the edge from his voice, indignation that they had forgotten this apparently not so elusive brother. It appeared he was fairly significant. After a few seconds of no reply from any of his team mates, he continued, evidently frustrated. "He was the one who spat in my face!"

"Oh," Beckett exhaled. Realisation dawning on her. No wonder Dunnings had made that little jab about being fond of her Irish "boyfriend".

"That was him?" Esposito interjected. Castle was wishing he had snapped and punched the guy. It obviously would have been well deserved. "I thought that was the actual Dunnings," Esposito continued.

"No, it was the damned brother," Ryan groaned. "That's probably why you don't remember him so well, they're practically identical, and their personalities? Well, they might as well be the same person for all I care. They're both heartless monsters".

"I'm inclined to agree," Castle nodded. "From having met the brother anyway. Haven't even met the one with the criminal record and I already can't stand the pair of them," he shuddered at the memory. The way Dunnings had eyed Beckett, it was quite frankly disgusting. At least when he lusted after Beckett there was a hint of love in his every leer. That made it a whole lot less creepy. Besides, Beckett welcomed and returned his sexual innuendo, the banter was natural, it was them. He sincerely hoped he was wrong about her attempts to distance herself from him. He couldn't bare to consider it. But, just in case, he leant back, away from the phone and let her finish the conversation.

"Look, we're done here. We'll start heading back to the precinct. You guys start tracking done Peter Dunnings, okay?" she added with a frown, clearly not happy the man she had convicted for murder was on the loose. "Also, send some uniforms down to pick up that guard. We have a few questions for him," she added as an afterthought, so distracted by the idea that Dunnings was somewhere in the city and not in prison like he ought to be. Which reminded her, "Oh, and guys. Put a protective detail on my Dad. Now."

"Done and done, Boss. We'll see you and Castle soon." Esposito's tone became lighter, teasing. "Don't let him wander off on his own. There are scary women out there. They might try kiss him to death." Beckett hung up with a small smile playing on her lips.

"I'm the only woman who's allowed to do that," she muttered under her breath.

"Huh?" Castle inquired, confusion clouding his face. "I missed that completely."

"Oh, nothing," Beckett replied, shrugging it off with a nonchalant smile.

"You should call him, just to be sure," Castle hinted.

"What? Who?" Beckett was too lost in thought. Kissing Castle to death seemed fitting. If she got too close to him now, clearly she would be putting him in imminent danger.

"Your Dad…" Castle broke away, clearly shocked that she hadn't put two and two together and come up with that already.

"Right. Right. Of course," Beckett muttered, her lips drooping downwards at the corners, mentally chastising herself for having become distracted so quickly. She should call her Dad. It was the natural next move in this situation. She dialled instinctively and drew her phone back to her ear. Her call was brief, her Dad was safe, but didn't argue when she assured him a protective detail was on their way. He was smarter than her in that regard; her fierce independent streak would have told her to fight the need for a protective detail. She was glad he had acquiesced so easily. She trusted her people, they would take care of him, her Dad would be safe. It was one less thing to worry about, at least for the night.

They drove back to the precinct in relative silence. Beckett consumed by thoughts of putting Castle in danger through their closeness and Castle concerned with the progression of their relationship. If it was a relationship, he honestly wasn't sure. That they were exclusive was one thing he was convinced of, Beckett hadn't considered another man in months and he hadn't seriously considered another woman. They were in too deep. But still, not deep enough. It was seriously enough to drive a less smitten man crazy. But smitten he was, and backing down was not an option.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The drive back to the precinct took longer than the one out to the prison. Unlikely as it seemed, the traffic had worsened. They crept along, eventually reaching the precinct after far too long. Castle was almost surprised Beckett hadn't slammed her siren on and barged her way through the traffic. Seemed she was enjoying the awkward silence a lot more than he was. It wasn't a relaxed silence like it had been earlier in the day. Unanswered questions hung in the air, leaving Castle close to breaking point and itching for answers. There was so much he wanted to know. So much he needed to be assured of. But he couldn't force his mouth to form words and the silence lingered, following them the entire way back to the precinct.

As they made their way back to Beckett's desk, Gates nodded at them through the window of her office. Castle personally wasn't feeling this fully fledged support for him that Beckett and Alexis had assured him of. It seemed like the same old cold disapproval that Gates usually regarded him with. He supposed it was nice to have some consistency. Esposito and Ryan moved to greet them.

"You guys took forever," Ryan mentioned causally.

"Got distracted did we?" Esposito threw in with a wink.

"Traffic," Beckett sighed, running her fingers through her hair in frustration. The boys immediately picked up that it was not a time to be joking, or hinting at her budding relationship with Castle.

"Right. That's too bad. So, we interviewed the prison guard. He didn't have much to say. Just that he was approached by Dunnings and offered the money to leave the brothers alone for a couple of minutes during a visit. The brother had been checked and didn't have anything dangerous on him so the guard didn't see the harm in it. He has a sick kid and desperately needed the money." Ryan hastened to add. If business was what Beckett wanted, it was business she would get.

"Sick kid," Castle whined. "That's so cliché."

"I don't think it seems so cliché to the prison guard," Ryan replied with a quick grin. It was nice to have Castle back. He added that whole other dynamic to the group, the one that lightened Beckett, the one that lightened the mood in general.

"Oh yeah, probably not," Castle agreed.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The four of them spent the remainder of the afternoon and well into the evening pooling their resources to find Peter Dunnings.

"This is hopeless," Castle sighed. "The man's a ghost. I mean, he's been living under his brother's identity. But after that one withdrawal months ago, he's barely touched his credit cards. He hasn't been living in his house. He's just disappeared."

"Not entirely. He was at your damn book club, fan club," Beckett put forth, although clearly as exasperated at coming up short as Castle was.

"Yeah, but no one remembers anything about him apart from Tessa," he moaned. "This is so futile. I think we're going to need a neon sign, pointing us in the right direction."

'Yeah, bro. That would totally come in handy right about now," Esposito added.

"Too bad it doesn't work like that," Ryan grumbled.

"Yeah, because it would put us out of a job," Beckett interjected with an eye-roll.

"Not me," Castle winked, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Fine, it would put you out of what? A hobby?" Beckett sighed.

"An obsession more like," Esposito chimed. He was met with matching death glares from Beckett and Castle. "Whatever," he muttered.

"Look, as fun as this is. I think we should go home. Beckett?" he essentially begged permission, his expression pleading.

"You're right. We're not going to get any further tonight. I think we're all a little sleep deprived from staying up _all night _rescuing Castle last night," she mocked, another patented eye-roll escaping. Ryan Esposito were up from their seats and out the door before she'd finished smirking at Castle. She moved to her desk, in search of her keys and coat.

"Beckett," Castle was beside her, hesitation leaking into his voice. "Come home with me? I need protecting," he tried to joke, but the attempt was weak and his expression faltered. Her initial reaction was a screaming yes, but then she remembered that it was her connection with Castle, her presence in his life, that was putting him in danger.

"Umm, I promised Lanie I'd stay with her tonight," she lied. It wasn't so bad. She was fully intending on making good on her lie and actually spending the night at Lanie's.

"Oh," Castle drew. "Okay, as long as you're safe." He offered her a weak smile and turned from her. "Until tomorrow, Detective," he called as he reached the elevator and stepped inside. Her heart dropped. For a strong woman, she really could be weak at times. She forced a deep breath and proceeded to head down to the morgue, in search of her best friend.


	24. Chapter 24

**AN:**** Told you all I'd be able to update more with my housemate away – a nod to my ever active social life perhaps. I make no apologies for spending the weekend watching Veronica Mars on my couch. Hope you all enjoy this latest instalment, should have another one up relatively soon. As always, thank you for reading & reviewing! **

Chapter Twenty-Four

_She forced a deep breath and proceeded to head down to the morgue, in search of her best friend._

"Hey Lanie," she called out as she walked into the morgue, the room had a cold clinical feel to it which might have caused her to shiver under the circumstances, if she wasn't so used to it.

"Hey girl, I'm back here," Lanie's voice travelled from the neighbouring room. Beckett pulled herself up onto a clear space on the bench beside her, swinging her legs back and forth as they dangled out of the floors reach. "So," Lanie said, eying her carefully. "What are you doing down here? Would have that you wouldn't want to let writer boy out of your sight anytime soon?"

"Writer _man_," she replied on impulse. Immediately biting her lip as the blush began to rise steadily on her cheeks.

"Know that for a fact now do we?" Lanie smirked. Beckett lowered her gaze and sighed, shaking her head. "Seriously, still not. What the hell is going on with the two of you? Foreplay's fun and all but, you know what's more fun?" she hedged. Beckett did know, but she was not going to give Lanie the satisfaction of answering, she fought the last remnants of her blush that were threatening to remerge.

"Lanie, I just keep getting him in trouble. I'm bad for him. He's better off without me," she moaned, laying her head in her hands, essentially admitting defeat. When she glanced up, Lanie was gazing intently at her, shaking her head ardently.

"You know that's a load of crap. Beckett, look at me, hear me when I say this. You make Richard Castle a better man," Lanie's tone was deadly serious, her words loaded with truth. Naturally, Beckett went with denial.

"No, no," she muttered softly.

"Yes," Lanie asserted. "And you know it. Don't even try to lie to me, girl."

"Okay, let's say for arguments sake there's some truth to that, whatever. But the point is, he keeps getting hurt because of me. He woke up in the hospital this morning because of me. Tessa only went after him because of me…"

"No." Lanie cut her off fiercely. "No." She could clearly see that Beckett was internally dismissing her words, her eyes reflected her disbelief. In her opinion, it was all her fault that Richard Castle found himself in these situations, Lanie was inclined to disagree and with good reason. "Listen Beckett, Tessa taking Castle, that's more Martha's fault than it is yours."

"Martha?" Beckett exclaimed incredulously. Lanie had clearly lost the plot. Maybe insanity was contagious, she had been near Tessa when she brought the drink into the interrogation room.

"Duh. It's her fault for producing such _fine_ example of the human specimen. If Castle wasn't hot, it totally wouldn't have happened," Lanie grinned. Under other circumstances, if she wasn't so stressed Beckett would have giggled at that.

"God, Lanie, you're ridiculous," she rose her eyebrows at her friend, not really having the words to reply to that.

"Oh, don't try to deny it, you know better than anyone that Castle is good to look at," Lanie replied, her typical attitude intact.

"Anyone?" Beckett's eyebrows soared higher still.

"Okay, except maybe his ex-wives. But they so don't count. You're the only one that counts for him these days," she added, sincerity lacing her words.

"Told you that has he?" Beckett practically whispered, almost scared of the response, either way.

"He called you his girl this morning when we were in the observation room. It was about the sweetest thing I've ever seen." Beckett couldn't have stopped the blush from rising to her cheeks even if she tried.

"It doesn't matter though. Dunnings is going to go after him, because of me," Beckett groaned, clenching her fists angrily, her nails biting into the palms of her hand.

"All the more reason for you to be going home with him, not me," Lanie added gently.

"He asked me you know," she admitted with a sigh.

"Then what the hell are you doing down here? Go, protect him. It's not like the pair of you are going to get a second of sleep tonight if you're apart and worrying about each other." Lanie made a convincing argument. There was no way that she was going to get a wink of sleep with the disabling fear for Castle that was currently pounding through her mind.

"I don't know, Lanie," she responded, biting her lip, worry clearly clouding her features.

"I'm not going to kick you out, I'm happy to have you stay with me tonight. Helps me stay in the loop, you know," she teased. Beckett's brow furrowed.

"I am sorry about not calling you…"

"It's fine, really," Lanie waved her hand dismissively. "I'm starving. Let's go get some dinner, then you can decide where you really want to stay tonight."

"Okay," Beckett nodded, that she could most definitely handle.

X-X-X-X-X-X

If Castle was being honest with himself, he was reasonably petrified the entire cab ride back to the loft. He kept expecting the driver to turn round with a menacing grin, the mirror image of the Dunnings brother that they had met in prison. Going home alone tonight sucked. He wished Beckett had come home with him, he wasn't kidding about needing protecting. A simple cab ride that he'd taken hundreds of times before had him sweating in fear. Plus, his cut ached, he was pretty sure that the pain killers he'd intentionally under-dosed on earlier in the day had well and truly worn off. It was not making for a quick or comfortable journey. He paid the cab driver with shaking hands, despite the fact the elderly black man was most certainly not Peter Dunnings. He lost track of how many times he looked over his shoulder walking from the lobby of his building to his loft. With one final paranoia infused glance over his shoulder he let himself into the loft and shut the door. His heart warmed instantly at the sight before him. Alexis and his mother were seated on the couch, matching adoring gazes on their faces, clearly they had been waiting for him. He smiled softly at them in response.

"Where's Detective Beckett?" Alexis asked by way of greeting and his smile faltered.

"Uh, she's with Lanie for the night," he answered, trying to hide sadness leeching its way into his tone.

"You should have invited her over," Alexis replied brightly. She had definitely missed the sadness. Martha on the other hand, had not, and she shot Alexis a warning with her eyes. "Oh, just that… I suppose it doesn't matter if that woman's in jail. You're both safe…" she trailed away, unsure of what to say next, especially after a flash of fear slipped into her father's eyes, derailing her.

"Umm. Well, yes. But, I need you to be very careful for the next little while," he turned to face his mother. "Both of you. The Lonkings are both in jail. Tessa for kidnapping and Bryan for assault with a deadly weapon. However, they weren't exactly working alone," Castle hesitated. He didn't really want to tell his daughter that they were all still in danger. If awareness ensured her safety though, it was a small price to pay. "There's a prisoner who's escaped who has a pretty major grudge against Beckett for putting him away…"

"Dad," Alexis interrupted. "You shouldn't have let her go home alone."

"She's not alone," he interjected weakly. "I tried, sweetie."

"No," Alexis was firm. "She's safer here. You're safer with her here. We're all safer with her here." Despite whatever her hang ups with her father and the detective's relationship may be, of this she was certain. Everybody would be safer if the detective was in the loft with them for the night. She would be assured her father wouldn't try anything stupid if he knew Beckett was safe with him. Alexis was innately worried that her father would try one of his usual tricks, striking out to solve the case on his own, whether to protect or impress the detective she was never quite sure.

"She's right you know, Richard darling," Martha added.

"Believe me, Mother, I know. But that doesn't change anything," he admitted sullenly.

"Mmm, fine then. I believe a change of topic is in order. Like, when were you planning on telling me you used your adorable daughter as pawn to escape hospital early this morning without bothering to let me know?" Castle opened his mouth to reply, but Martha waved him unceremoniously away. "No excuses. Are you trying to age me prematurely, Richard? You're just lucky that my granddaughter is responsible enough to keep me well informed." Despite the tone of her words, she was smiling genuinely. "I'm glad to have you home safe," she added pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you, Mother," he sighed, laying a hand on her knee, squeezing it gently. The sofa jostled as Alexis rose. She was frowning at her phone.

"One of my friends is having a crisis. I'll just call her quickly. Then, family night. Ice-cream compulsory. Choose a movie, okay Dad," she insisted, walking away.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Beckett pushed the fries around her plate with a sigh. Dinner with Lanie was going well enough, the conversation was flowing and food was good. However, the constant worry was ebbing away at her resolve. She needed to see Castle. She was halfway decided to tell Lanie that she had changed her mind and was going to head to the loft for the night when her phone rang. She was so distracted she almost missed it, Lanie drawing her from her thoughts with a sharp nudge and a pointed look at her ringing pocket. Right, phone. Given how close she was to missing the call completely she didn't waste time checking the caller ID.

"Detective Beckett," she answered formal as always.

"Hey, I just…needed to hear you were safe." She softened instantly in response, the worry leeching away.

"Hi Castle," she murmured softly. Lanie grinned at her. Her phone beeped angrily in her ear. "Oh, I have an incoming call. It could be about the case. I'll call you back, okay?" she didn't even attempt to disguise the disappointment from her tone at having to cut the conversation short. "Detective Beckett," she answered a little more abruptly than before. She sensed the person on the other end of the line hesitate briefly in response to her tone. Oh well, too late to do anything about it now.

"Detective…" she started softly.

"Alexis?" it flew out of her mouth in surprise, cutting off the girl as she spoke.

"Yeah. Um. I'm sorry, I don't want to intrude. But, I think you should stay here tonight. I want you to stay here tonight. I'm afraid Dad's going to try something stupid, like solving the case on his own, you know. I just think he'd be a lot safer if you were here. I think you'd be a lot safer if you were here. I just think we'd all be safer. I just…I'm scared. Dad always goes on about how kick-ass you are and I believe him. Please just come stay here. If you can't do it for my Dad, then do it for me. We need you. We _want_ you," the words flew from mouth in a rush. She barely thought about them, by the time she had finished she wasn't even entirely sure what exactly she'd actually said. Beckett was silent; she had to remind herself to breathe. She gasped a breath, her jaw dropping open and choked out a strangled –

"Uh."


	25. Chapter 25

**AN:**** I am aware that this chapter is rather on the short side. It just seemed like a fitting place to end it though. Besides, it's about quality not quantity ;) That said, another update will inevitably be up shortly. To my readers & reviewers, I adore you all. Thank you for your continued support! **

Chapter Twenty-Five

_She gasped a breath, her jaw dropping open and choked out a strangled – _

"_Uh." _

She found herself nodding, forgetting the girl couldn't see her. "Yeah. Yeah, Alexis, that sounds good," she quietly admitted. Alexis let out a sigh from the breath she didn't quite know she was holding.

"Thank you," she added, relief spilling out from her in waves.

"I'll be there soon, Alexis. Just, don't tell your Dad yet, okay?" Beckett was worried about asking the girl that, she just wanted it to be unexpected. To really knock him off his feet and all that. It reminded her of her conversation earlier with Lanie in the hospital, _he shouldn't be surprised_. But considering her behaviour this afternoon she doubted he would be anything but surprised. It was okay, though, she knew it would be a good surprise. The kind of surprise that meant they could both finally unwind and actually get some sleep tonight.

"Sure," Alexis replied, albeit a little puzzled but not really caring enough to question it. So long as the detective was coming, it should all work out in the long run. She just had to keep her Dad entertained a little while longer, and with the ice-cream and movie she had planned, that shouldn't be difficult. Besides, when it came down to it, she wanted some alone time with her Dad. Excluding that, she wanted him to actually sleep tonight and she knew that as a result of his obvious infatuation with Beckett he would only do that if he could see that she was safe. It was a small price to pay for the loss of some quality family time. Although she wasn't quite fully ready to acknowledge it, Martha's defence of Beckett in the hospital the night before seemed fitting, she really was becoming like family. Alexis knew it was going to take her a little while to get used to that, her Dad was _hers_ after all, and he had been for a long time now.

As she chewed over the masses of thoughts running through her mind, she made her way back downstairs to find her Dad clutching his phone rather helplessly, movie choice remaining unselected.

"Dad, movie?" she reminded him gently.

"Right. Any preferences?" he responded rather half-heartedly. He looked somewhat dejected, turning his phone over and over in the palm of his hand. Martha nudged him towards the DVDs and ushered Alexis into the kitchen.

"Your father is waiting on a call from Detective Beckett," she whispered when they were out of earshot. "He called her a few minutes ago and barely got a hello out before she had to take another call. She said she'd call him back, and well, as I said, he's waiting, and not very patiently I might add," she grimaced at her granddaughter. Alexis blushed and Martha regarded her quizzically.

"That other call, that was me," she admitted, biting the inside of her cheek, somewhat embarrassed. "I invited Beckett over. Figured they'd both get more sleep that way."

"Oh darling, that's excellent," Martha grinned with flourish.

"You think?" Alexis replied reluctantly.

"Of course, your father's in a state. She's the only one who's going to have any chance of getting through to him and with this man on the loose, our building's more secure than hers. Remember that break in scene from _Heat Wave_ we most certainly don't want that becoming a reality now do we," she mused, excitement clouding her tone. It was a win-win situation as far as she was concerned, it was about time Richard and his dear detective settled down. No more of this tiptoeing around one another. She considered what she could do to the spare room to make it unsleepable and force Beckett into her son's bed. Burning it down? Perhaps that was taking things to the extreme just a tad. Nevertheless, she could subtly nudge them in the right direction. She returned to living room, after winking at Alexis who was busy preparing bowls of ice-cream, to ensure that Richard choose nice romantic movie to watch, just to set the scene. She briefly considered lighting candles around the room, then flashed back to her burning down the spare bedroom idea and changed her mind. She did, however, have the tenacity to switch off the main light as she sat down, leaving a much wider space next to her son this time.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Beckett turned to Lanie who was regarding her with a smirk, her eyes playful, her expression teasing.

"So, that was Alexis," she began, ignoring the growing, I-told-you-so grin that was blooming on her best friend's face. "Apparently Castle's having a hard time dealing with it all and is going to go rogue and try solve the case. Seems when that inevitably happens, I'm the only one who can stop him."

"Ah-huh," Lanie grinned. "Shocker."

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Beckett hugged her friend tightly. "Thanks," she whispered in her ear as she let her go, getting to her feet.

"Do you know what I'm really curious about," Lanie said to herself as her friend retreated from hearing distance. "Did writer boy set up his adorable daughter to call or did she come up with that all by herself?" The waitress walking by regarded her with a weird glare. "Talk to yourself public just once and people think you're crazy," Lanie muttered under her breath as she left a tip and made her way from the diner. "I do it all the time in the morgue and no one judges me there," she added glibly, stepping out into the night air.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Beckett called Castle back as she was around the corner from the loft.

"Hey," she smiled into the phone.

"Hey you," he replied softly.

"Dad," Alexis moaned in the background.

"Just a sec, Beckett," he whispered. She heard muffled clattering before the background noise dulled completely. "Sorry, we just started a movie. Apparently I was ruining it by answering my phone in a good part, and had to retreat to my secluded bedroom," the inflection on the last part was completely intentional. Beckett fought the urge to grin. Two could play at that game.

"Sounds cosy," her voice was low, teasing.

"Oh, it is. Wouldn't you like to know? My bed, Beckett, seriously, it's like heaven it's _so_ soft," he matched her, happy to play their usual game of back and forth banter.

"Oh, Castle,_ I _know," she sighed.

"You. What?" he gasped, his joking tone slipping. She couldn't contain the giggle.

"I was in your room last night, looking for _you_," she emphasized the last part, licking her lips seductively, even though he couldn't see her. It was instinct to tease him.

"You're killing me," he replied, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper.

"Just ask Alexis," she added casually.

"Alexis?" he squeaked. "Oh, the mood is most totally gone now, Beckett,' he groaned. She laughed in response. A knock on the door disrupted him from forming an appropriate comeback. "C'mon," he cried in frustration, knowing full well that Alexis and his mother were not going to be inclined to move away from the sofa to open to door, they were engaged too intently in the movie.

"Was that your door, Castle?" Beckett asked innocently.

"Yes," he let out a frustrated sigh. Whoever the hell was calling at this hour, after the day he'd just had was well and truly in for it. Knowing his luck, it was going to be Dunnings or a gentleman caller for his mother. He wasn't sure which was worse. He was sure that he wanted nothing to do with either.

"You should probably answer it," she hinted.

"I guess," he responded with an eye-roll, running his fingers through his hair. "Hang on a second, okay. Whoever it is, I'll get rid of them quick," he begrudgingly threw the door open, his jaw dropping. Kate Beckett was leaning into his door frame, her phone held loosely by her ear and a relieved grin on her face.

"It's too bad the mood is gone, Castle," she threw him a sultry wink, just for good measure. He was suddenly insanely nervous. His knees were likely to buckle any second. She nudged her way past his frozen form and into the loft.


	26. Chapter 26

**AN:**** The downside to updating quickly is that I don't get your reviews full of ideas/feedback in time before I write the next chapter. In defence of this chapter, it's been said that driving tired pretty much has the same effect as driving drunk. That's what Beckett is doing in this chapter, she's "driving tired," her defences are down and she's not completely herself. Hope you like it nonetheless, and don't find it too out of character. **

Chapter Twenty-Six

_His knees were likely to buckle any second. She nudged her way past his frozen form and into the loft._

It seemed like Castle's night was set to improve. Beckett had been here all of twenty seconds and he already felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, relief pooled through him, lightening his mood instantly. He grinned at her and she shifted somewhat awkwardly. Right, she'd been here all of twenty seconds and all he'd done was ogle her creepily. Probably should rectify that before she left.

"Mood is so totally back," he ushered her further into the loft with a grin. She laughed gently in response and the sound calmed him exponentially. "I'm really glad you came," he added seriously.

"Me too," she softened, the teasing gone. "Alexis called me," she figured he ought to know. "She was worried you'd try go after Dunnings alone."

"Without my kick-ass partner? Not a chance! You're the one with a gun, remember?" he winked comically.

"She also mentioned you call me kick-ass a lot. Seriously, Castle?" with that, the teasing tone was back.

"Well you are, no point denying it," he shrugged. He grasped her hand and tugged her toward the living room. "Precious daughter of mine, could I have a word?" he called. Alexis turned to her grandmother –

"Err, save me?" Martha merely responded with a bemused smile. Alexis paused the movie and made her way to her father.

"Genius," he simply declared, kissing her gently on the forehead. Alexis chuckled.

"Nice to see you, Detective," she added, suddenly shy.

"Always," Beckett replied warmly. Castle spluttered and almost choked. She was using _their _word with his daughter. It was beautiful, it was sweet, it was a little gross actually – considering the connotation that he connected with it. Nonetheless, it made his heart swell. He was overcome with the urge to clutch them both to his chest in a breathtaking hug. He settled for drawing Alexis to him and kissing the top of her head.

"Dad," she moaned. Now it was just plain embarrassing.

"What?" He replied, faking innocence.

"Nothing," she sighed, clearly amused. "Just come sit down so we can watch the rest of the movie."

Beckett tried not to notice that Martha and Alexis made it so her only seating option was curled into Castle's side, just that bit too close to insinuate merely friends, or on the floor. She chose Castle's side, based purely on the fact that the floor was incredibly uncomfortable and she had been working all day. It was the sole reason. Really. At least that's what she tried to reassure herself, all of once before Castle's hand was reaching for hers and she was unconsciously bridging the gap before she was fully aware of what she was doing. Then her hand was tightly wound with his, and she could barely recognise what movie they were watching as the gentle stroke of his fingers on the back of her hand consumed her attention. That coupled with fire burning in the pit of her stomach was nearly enough to make her want to drag Castle into his bedroom and find out just how soft that bed of his really was. But reality was still ebbing in the background of her thoughts. No matter what Lanie said, she was bad for Castle. She brought danger down upon him. So she'd just have to ignore her ever increasing desire and try to take delight in these simple moments. Which when it came down to it, wasn't really so hard. Because this, this feeling she was experiencing right now, just holding Castle's hand as they watched a movie – in the same room as his mother and daughter for crying out loud – this, was bliss. She sighed heavily, lost in her thoughts. He frowned at her and drew his mouth to her ear.

"Want to talk about it?" He murmured. His warm breath on her neck caused her to shiver. He untangled his hand from hers and quickly replaced it with his other one before drawing his now free hand up along her back and rubbing her shoulder gently. "Cold?" He whispered.

"Yes," she responded. She wasn't. But this feeling, his arm rubbing up and down hers, it was intoxicating.

"Do you want me to get you a sweater?" he asked, concern etching lines upon his face.

"No," she replied breathily. "This is good." She bit down on her lip, hesitantly looked him straight in the eye. "This is perfect," she added. Understanding dawned on him. This time he was the one to shiver. He let out a quiet moan and drew her closer in to his side. Neither noticed his mother and daughter slowly retreat from the room.

She found herself lapsing into the realm of sleep. It was inevitable really, after the sleep deprivation of the past couple of days and the security of being in Castle's arms, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was safe.

"Castle," she mumbled, barely coherent.

"Mmm," he managed to force out, ghosting lips across the top of head, pressing them gently against her hair.

"Bed," she murmured, barely more than an exhale of air. Still, he heard it, and that one word revived him rather dramatically. He pried his eyes open and gazed down at her.

"Is that an invitation, Detective?" he replied enthusiastically. She didn't even need to open her eyes for him to know that she was glaring at him from behind her tired eyelids.

"I believe that would count as pushing your luck…"

"I'm feeling lucky," he muttered with a smile.

"Mmm, silly man," she smiled dreamily, her hand brushing along his jaw. "I meant I'm going to bed. You're going to have to let go of me."

"Not likely. Let me escort you to your suite, Miss Beckett," he managed to declare as he pulled her unceremoniously to her feet. She allowed him to pull her tightly into his side, essentially supporting her weight. He led her carefully to the guest room. As she leaned back into the bed, rubbing her face with a yawn, he gently yanked the shoes from her feet.

"Hmm, I can do that," she hummed, clearly exhausted.

"I got it," he smiled, letting his fingertips linger against the skin of her ankle as he pulled the shoes off. "You know what's funny?" he asked as she snuggled into the bed.

"What?" she yawned widely, pulling a hand lazily across her face as she did.

"I'm one who's injured, the one who's just survived perhaps one of the strangest kidnapping situations ever and yet I'm the one tucking _you _into bed. I'm not complaining. Just, you totally owe me, Beckett. You're going to have to tuck me in sometime," he smiled warmly, the usual teasing tone replaced by tired sincerity.

"Mmm, 'kay," she closed her eyes once again. "Night Castle, thanks," she sighed, pulling the covers further up around her and curling up on the bed. He leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek.

"Night Kate." He brushed a lock of hair that had spilled onto her face carefully back behind her ear. He switched the light off and shut the door gently, as it latched, he sighed deeply. "I love you," he whispered to the closed door – to the woman who lay beyond it, already teetering on the edge of sleep. He brushed his teeth and two minutes later he was in his own bed, fitfully finding the beginnings of a deep slumber.

X-X-X-X-X-X

He's genuinely surprised to find himself awake only a few hours later, the loft, the world, still dark. He figures it out fairly quickly though, his stomach is growling and his head is throbbing. He needs painkillers and food, in that order. He swallows the pills quickly, with barely any water, apparently his gag reflex is still asleep, it usually doesn't appreciate the subtle art of pill popping. He moves to the kitchen, his feet echoing on the wooden floor, magnified by the stillness. The night has a habit of doing that, turning every insignificant noise into a thundering chorus. He hopes the other occupants of the house are oblivious to it, there's a chance it's just his overactive imagination playing tricks on him. He comes to a stop in the kitchen, draws the fridge open and finds the leftovers of Alexis' dinner. Lasagne, perfect. He pulls out the container and shoves it indelicately into the microwave. The thing bursts to life a heck of lot louder than he remembers it. He pours himself a glass of milk as he waits, forgetting to stop the microwave before the minute is up and it sounds – loudly – alerting the entire household to the fact it is done. He groans. He does not want to wake up a house of women this early in the morning, he doesn't see them being at all forgiving.

He hears a door creak, then gentle footsteps on the ground behind him.

"Sorry, Alexis. Go back to bed," he mumbles through a mouthful of lasagne, his back turned to the woman behind him.

"S'not Alexis, it's me," Beckett yawns, running her fingers through her hair, coming to sit beside him.

"Oh God, Beckett, I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to bed," he regards her gently, the dark circles still under her eyes. She looks tired. She hums noncommittally in response.

"Can I have a glass of milk?" she murmurs, rubbing her eyes, trying to wake herself up a bit more. He doesn't reply, merely pushes his half full glass across the counter to her. "Thanks," she smiles softly. They sit in silence for a while, both in quiet contemplation. He lays his fork down, drawing a hand to rest on his belly.

"I should force Alexis to be a chef," he mutters.

"Just because she's the only one in your family who can cook anything actually edible doesn't necessarily make her predestined for culinary greatness, Castle," Beckett chuckles sleepily. Still, better to be well informed, she leans into his side a little and picks up the fork. After a drawing a piece of the lasagne into her mouth she moans softly. "Okay, maybe you're right," she admits. "This is really good." Castle shoots her a grin in response. She finishes off the remainder of the meal and they lapse back into silence for a while longer. Eventually Castle feels his eyelids begin to droop again, a quick glance at Beckett tells him that she's feeling the same.

"Bed," he sighs. Beckett nods her agreement. He takes her hand and leads her out of the kitchen. He drops it when they reach the living room where they need to part ways, him to his bedroom and her to the guest room. He brushes her cheek gently with his fingertips by way of goodnight before turning and heading to his room. He feels her presence behind him with each step he takes. Surprise creeps through him; Beckett is following him into his bedroom. He reaches the frame of his door and turns to her. She smiles nervously up at him.

"Can I…," her voice cracks, she clears her throat and starts again. "Can I come with you, Castle? No funny business, just waking up without you before, when I heard the microwave, it scared the hell out of me. For a second I thought you were still missing and I'd _slept_ instead of putting my all into finding you and I just, it worried me a lot…" He interrupts her spiel, pressing a finger to her lips.

"So, I am getting lucky tonight?" he asks, his tone light, evidently teasing. She death stares him, tired and somewhat needy, she's still Detective Beckett, kick-ass and stubborn. "No funny business," he adds seriously. Her expression softens and her lips curl to a smile beneath his finger. He withdraws it with a grin and retreats into his room, pulling her in behind him. They clamber under the covers, exhausted but both still conscious enough to feel the butterflies buzzing in their chests from the proximity. She leans back into him, inviting him to draw his arms around her without so many words. He grins, his mouth at the back of her neck. "Now this is what I call getting lucky," he whispers in her ear as she falls back to sleep.


	27. Chapter 27

**AN:**** Let's keep it short & sweet this time. As much as I love the thrill of the chase, sometimes you've just gotta be caught ;) **

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"_Now this is what I call getting lucky," he whispers in her ear as she falls back to sleep._

Beckett woke slowly, enveloped by an intoxicating sense of warmth. She snuggled deeper into the source of the warmth, a content sigh escaping her. Lips brushed at her neck – that was unusual. Not exactly something she was used to waking up to. She tried to clear the sleep from her mind, remember exactly where she was.

"Morning," warm breath swilled in the air surrounding her ear, a husky morning voice alerting her to exactly where she was, with Castle, in Castle's bed, in Castle's arms for that matter. Realisation dawning on her, she waited for the overwhelming rush of panic she was sure would come – it did. Her body froze momentarily as Castle drew her closer to him. She was clearly awake – somewhat, and hadn't thrown him off her, he wasn't wasting the opportunity for a second.

"Castle," she warned carefully.

"Mmm," he hummed in her ear, lips brushing against it as he did. She couldn't control the involuntary shudder that wracked through her body at his touch, the intimacy of the moment. She found herself intensely conflicted. This, waking in Castle's arms – without the cuffs – this was perfection, bliss. But there was the ever present issue of being ready – which she wasn't, her mother's case remained unsolved and her wall was intact. Was it really though? Just yesterday she had been ready to hand Castle a ladder and help him over. She could still do that, if it was like this, the moment of contentment she was in mere seconds ago waking with Castle. Thoughts of yesterday resurrected thoughts of Dunnings and of Tessa, she was the one who was putting Castle in danger. Alexis may have called her last night, but she could tell the girl most certainly did not support her knack of dragging Castle to face the firing squad. She needed space to think. She could feel Castle beginning to worry, her body had stiffened in his arms since she woke and her brow was creased as she lay silently, lost in thought. She knew he knew she was worrying. He always knew. When it came to her anyway.

"Castle, I've been wearing the same clothes for like the past two days now. Can I have a shower? Borrow some clothes?" she asked gently, shifting in his arms to face him. He didn't bother to tone down the look of adoration in his eyes as he gazed at her.

"Sure. Lazy stay in bed all day clothes or a suit?" he replied coyly. "I would go get something of Alexis', but it is much too early for her to be awake and happy to find me rummaging through her things."

"As long as bed clothes don't constitute my birthday suit, then I guess that would be fine," she winked in response.

"Dang, that was what I meant by the suit option. Poor choice, Beckett," he grinned. "There's t-shirts in that draw," he gestured, "and boxers or tracksuit pants in the one above it."

"Thanks," she smiled. He carefully withdrew his hold on her body and she pulled herself from the bed. She rifled through the t-shirt draw. "God, Castle. How many novelty t-shirts do you have? You know, that one from Tessa really would have completed your collection," she said, arching her eyebrows at him. He was a little tempted to stick out his tongue in response, but he managed to restrain himself.

"Very funny, Beckett," he frowned. But it wasn't genuine, his eyes were still twinkling. How could they not be, with the bed-haired Beckett before him, smilingly rummaging through his clothes for something to wear. She pulled a t-shirt from the drawer with a little gasp.

"Oh, this one is perfect, Castle," she exclaimed, clutching it tightly to her chest.

"Which one?" he replied curiously, trying to remember all of the shirts in that drawer and the most likely of them to have taken her fancy.

"You'll just have to wait and see," she shook her head teasingly.

"Tell me," he whined.

"Nope. Don't want to ruin the look on your face when you see me in it. I think it'll be priceless," she smirked, biting her lip in a captivatingly suggestive manner. He was ridiculously curious now and also feeling very, very impatient.

"Well, hurry up then," he gestured madly at the bathroom. "You're taking way too long, Beckett. I might get impatient and come into the bathroom to check it out, the shirt…obviously," his tone was overflowing with mirth.

"You wouldn't dare," she asserted jokingly – somehow managing to communicate a genuine threat as well – as she drew some boxers from a drawer and made her way to the bathroom. She stopped at the door, turning to glance at him. "Castle, don't move. I'll be coming back to bed," her voice was rich with teasing, but he knew there was a sense of levity behind it, she meant what she said. She was going to have a shower and then come crawling back into his bed, with him. He should get kidnapped more often. This was already shaping up to the best day of his life. He pushed the niggling thoughts of the case and Dunnings further to the back of his mind. The present was clearly much more important. He wasn't going to sacrifice a second of it to worrying about some psychopath; the rest of the day would be for that. It was barely morning and he was going to start this day on the right foot. From what he'd seen of the day so far, he was off to a flying start.

Beckett was barely gone five minutes before she was pushing the door of the bathroom open and standing before him. He was so distracted by the dark wet curls of her hair and the drips that were forming on her shoulders that he forgot to take note of her t-shirt, his t-shirt. After a few seconds of him staring somewhat dopily at her, she cleared her throat.

"Enjoying the view there, Castle?" she questioned, her tone light.

"Immensely," he breathed throatily.

"Mmm, forgetting something?" she smoothed her hands down the t-shirt, Castle's eyes followed the curve of her body. He was really having a hard time reading the slogan on the shirt, the woman within it was just too distracting. He pressed his eyes closed momentarily, refocussed and chuckled loudly, throwing a hand over his mouth, remembering the other occupants of the house were undoubtedly still sleeping.

"That is without a doubt the best thing I have ever seen," he finally responded after his laughter subsided. Her eyes lit up in response. "You know, I kind of thought you'd hurt me for owning it. That's why I've never shown it to you," he added.

"Yeah, depending what mood you caught me in, definitely a possibility. Please tell me you don't wear it in public?" she pursed her lips, unsure if she was completely serious about the last part or not, she did kind of like it after all.

"Only to a couple of writers conventions," he shrugged.

"Excellent," she replied dryly. He grinned at her. Despite her tone, he could tell that she was a little bit flattered. He raised his eyebrows at her and patted the empty side of the bed gently. She silently communicated her agreement by moving towards him and clambering back into the bed. She lay just out his reach, arms curled into her chest, facing him. He gazed at her a moment longer.

"So…" he hedged carefully, unwilling to push her further away, back behind her walls and out of his bed.

"So, I think we need to talk," she admitted with a sigh, chewing hesitantly on her bottom lip. He nodded, manoeuvring his head closer to hers so he could look her more directly in the eyes. He waited for her to continue. His intentions were clear; the ball was in her court so to speak. She kept gnawing on her lip, trying to string her thoughts into a coherent sentence. He was suddenly worried she'd cut through the delicate skin of her lip, he gently raised his fingers to brush against her lower lip. The movement calmed her and she released a rush of air. "Castle, it's my fault Dunnings is after you. It's my fault Tessa took you," she pulled his hand from where it rested beside her face and drew it to her eye level, frowning intently. "It's my fault that you're hurt." Castle withdrew his hand a little, his wrists were purpled and bruised from being bound to the chair and he could tell Beckett was beating herself up about it.

"They're just bruises, Beckett. Besides, it's not your fault. None of this is your fault…"

"But it Castle, it is," she interrupted, pulling his hand back to her, kissing his wrist gently. "I'm the reason you this whole thing happened to you…" she trailed off momentarily, the sting of guilt biting through her. "I have to stay away from you to keep you safe," she asserted finally. His mouth fell open, gaping at her.

"That's it, that's your big hang up to us finally being _us_?" he managed to force out through the shock of it all. It was worry for him that was holding her back. "That doesn't matter, Beckett…" he begun.

"It does matter. _You_ matter," she hissed, cutting him off. Her words threw him. He couldn't bare another second of this madness. He was done. Done with waiting. Done with over-thinking. He closed the gap between them and his lips were on hers before she had the chance to process the movement. The kiss was fierce. In that moment she didn't care that she was pulling him deeper into trouble, his lips crushed her resolve and she was kissing him back with her all. His arms found her, wrapping around her torso and tugging her gently into her chest to deepen the kiss. She moaned and he pulled away, his forehead resting on hers, his grip around her tightening.

"I am safer with you," he emphasized every word intently. "I need you," he added with the same pointed tone. It was too much. This time she was the one heatedly fusing her lips to his.

"Always," she whispered as they drew apart, their breathing ragged.

"Always," he echoed gently, kissing her lightly on the lips. There, wrapped in each other's arms, the worries of the world, the fears of whatever Dunnings had planned, slipped away momentarily. As they relaxed curled together, a couple more hours of sleep were easy to find.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Unfortunately, there was a real world to get back to, a case to solve. Castle's alarm woke them, still early, but this time bright. Castle felt the double meaning as the sun streamed into his room and he was greeted with the soft smile of the woman he loved. Definitely a bright morning. He tugged her from his bed and into the kitchen, leading her to a stool. He caressed the back of her neck with a gentle trail of kisses as she sat down. He felt her shoulders relax and he drew a small moan from her lips.

"Breakfast," he murmured against her neck, his hands falling to rest on her hips.

"You're going to eat me?" she gasped in mock fear, a twinkle in her eyes.

"You're impossible," he muttered, moving from her to the stovetop. "Eggs? Waffles? Preference?" he gazed at her, too overcome by the light blush still on her cheeks from his kisses to form actual sentences.

"Surprise me," she merely shrugged in response.

"That I can do," he replied, a sparkle in his eyes.

"Edible, Castle," she reminded him gently. It was his turn to shrug, a small smirk forming on his lips. He busied himself preparing what looked to be a typical hot breakfast which she found vastly reassuring. There was a knock on the door as he was in the middle of scrambling eggs.

"Can you get that," he threw over his shoulder. She smiled at him and slipped from the stool, quickly making her way to the door. She opened it, a hand in her still damp hair and a subtle smile curling her lips. Her hand dropped abruptly and her expression slackened, fear filling her eyes at the person before her.


	28. Chapter 28

**AN:**** I'm so grateful for your response to the last chapter/s! Some of you have a knack for knowing what's going on (that's a nod to you, Docnerd89). Thanks to everyone who's reading & reviewing! To White Pawn, you really know how to flatter a gal ;) **

Chapter Twenty-Eight

_Her hand dropped abruptly and her expression slackened, fear filling her eyes at the sight of the person before her._

After the initial shock wore off, Beckett casually crossed her arms across her t-shirt, hoping Gates hadn't taken the time to read the, _My Muse is Hotter Than Yours_, slogan scrawled across it.

"Morning Detective," Gates said somewhat distractedly, her mind busy taking in the sight before her of Kate Beckett with messy bedroom hair clad only in men's boxers and shirt that looked suspiciously Castle-sized and Castle-themed, if the words on it were anything to go by.

"Sir," she replied rather curtly. This was unexpected to say the least.

"Beckett, who is it?" Castle called from the kitchen, still focussed intently on the food before him.

"It's Captain Gates," she replied, a little too much fear in her tone for her liking. "Come in," she muttered awkwardly as there was a clattering in the kitchen as Beckett's words reached Castle.

"Ow, ouch, dammit" he cursed. He ditched cooking, moving to the living room with his now burnt fingers in his mouth. "Gates," he attempted trying to sound friendly, removing his fingers from his mouth. "Breakfast?" he asked weakly.

"No, thanks," she waved her hand dismissively. "I just stopped by to see how you were faring after your ordeal, Castle." He nodded dumbly in response.

"Ah, fine," he choked out.

"Good," she nodded briskly. Feeling the awkwardness as acutely as the other occupants of the loft she added, "I didn't want everyone at the precinct getting the wrong idea if I showed actual concern for you there…" Her joke fell flat.

"Ha," Castle managed after a pause that was all too long. That alone almost made Beckett chortle. But the knowledge that her boss had discovered her – them in a compromising appearing condition didn't exactly leave her in the most light-hearted mood. This was going to make things at the precinct a whole lot more difficult to navigate. There was a cluttering upstairs before a much too brightly clad for the early time of the morning Martha appeared at the foot of the stairs, sweeping into the room. She took in Gates' presence in the room and sheer uncomfortableness of it all, smirking at the attire of her son and his _muse_.

"Beckett, darling, how did you find the guest room?" she asked by way of good morning. It was as if the tension drained swiftly from the room at her words.

"Great, thanks, Martha," she smiled appreciatively at the flamboyant woman.

"Good, good. I'm so glad we convinced you to stay. It was nice to know you were safe. Our building is much more secure than yours you know," and just like that the uncomfortable question lingering at the tip of Gates' tongue was swallowed before it could be released. Martha had managed to somewhat subtly highlight that there had been no shift in the relationship between Castle and Beckett – despite the appearance, and the actuality of the opposite. Castle could kiss her. Or forsaking that, allow her a shopping trip with his credit card. Gates almost smiled in relief, she wasn't really the beaming type though so she nodded curtly at Martha and turned her attention back to Beckett and Castle.

"The boys filled me on the case. I'll see you both at the precinct shortly?" she inquired. Beckett's gaze shifted to Castle and he answered with a sharp nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine. We'll be in soon, Sir," he smiled, convincingly this time.

X-X-X-X-X-X

After they had ushered Gates out the door and returned to sanity Castle turned to his mother.

"I – we, owe you big-time," he exclaimed, planting a grateful kiss on her cheek. She arched her eyebrows at him in response.

"Why would that be? I said nothing but the truth," she hedged, curious. Martha didn't miss the deep blush that coloured Beckett's cheeks at her words. For a good few moments no one spoke, Castle realising that he'd said just a little too much, Beckett wringing her fingers gently, a little bit nervous to be broaching this conversation so soon, whilst things were still so tentative. "I think, considering you owe me big-time," Martha air bracketed the words as she spoke. "Perhaps what you owe me is an explanation," she smiled sweetly, dramatic flair evident behind her sincerity. Castle groaned.

"I should think before I say things," he muttered. Beckett patted his shoulder consolingly.

"We all know that's never going to happen with you," she teased. "Breakfast anyone?" she asked innocently, manoeuvring Castle back toward the kitchen with a gentle shove.

"This conversation's most certainly not over," Martha declared passionately, following them into the kitchen. "But, do feed me darling," she added, locking eyes with her son. Silence filtered through the kitchen as Castle reignited the stovetop and finished cooking breakfast. As he slid the eggs onto his mother's place she shot him a look that clearly inferred she was ready for answers.

"There's nothing to explain, Mother," he attempted. She shook her head; she wasn't buying it, not for a second. Castle looked to Beckett for help, she merely shrugged at him and shovelled food into her mouth, if she was eating she wasn't talking, simple as that. Despite his annoyance at Martha's little interrogation, he found it incredibly endearing that Beckett wasn't jumping to deny it as soon as she was offered the opportunity. That alone assured him that it okay to be having this conversation. If Beckett had jumped in with ardent denial he probably would have begrudgingly gone along with it, but this, noncommittal support, it warmed his heart. She wasn't jumping to pretend it never happened. If he was looking for a best case scenario it seemed this was as close as he was going to get and he was more than okay with that. "Beckett seduced me," he blurted out. She choked on the toast she was stuffing into her mouth. She struggled to get it down as Martha regarded the pair of them with arched eyebrows and a bright grin.

"Not true," Beckett spluttered out, still fighting to swallow the last of her mouthful. Castle grinned wickedly at her.

"You left it up to me to explain," he shrugged. "Called it as I saw it…" Beckett rolled her eyes in response.

"Fine," he sighed melodramatically. "Mother, when you asked Beckett if she liked the guest bed what she really meant to say was that it was nice, but not nearly as nice as my bed. That about cover it, my dear?" He grinned at Beckett, his tone light, teasing. He was met with another eye-roll.

"You really are good at making up stories for a living," Martha injected with a cheerful laugh.

"I wasn't lying," he cried defensively. He was met with silence from the women before him. "What? I wasn't," he whined. Beckett chuckled.

"Writer man, you should go get dressed. I'd like to stop at my place before work so we need to leave soon," Beckett commented, essentially drawing the conversation to a close.

"Fine, but you both suck you know that," he griped, leaving the room. The women smiled at one another in response.

"Very mature, Richard," his mother threw after his retreating form. As much as Beckett enjoyed Martha's company, she was worried the conversation would resurrect itself, she took a final mouthful of food and stood up.

"I should put my pants on before we leave too," she casually shrugged, making her way from the kitchen. Martha swivelled to watch her retreating form.

"Detective," she called after her, watching the woman head clearly into the direction of her son's room. "Wouldn't your pants be in the guest room?" she winked, evidently pleased with herself for catching them out. Beckett's face burned with embarrassment and she managed to squeak out an ungracious –

"Uh," before hurrying into Castle's room, Martha's chuckle following her in. Castle emerged shirtless from the bathroom, he took in the blush still pooling on Beckett's cheeks.

"Chatting with my mother went well I take it," he smirked.

"You know, under _any_ other circumstances I think I'd find your mother funny," Beckett ground out, not really mad, just a little frustrated at how easily Martha seemed to sense the shift in their relationship. Apparently secrets didn't last long in this household. Castle crossed to her side, after kissing her cheek swiftly he added –

"She really likes you know. Plus, I'm not ashamed of you, of _us_, whatever this is…" he paused for a moment. "What is this, Beckett?" he asked gently.

"_Us_," she suggested gently, raising a hand to brush a stray tuft of his hair back into place. "It's just us."

"Just us," he repeated softly. "Does that make you my girlfriend?" he pushed. She shook her head.

"Maybe if you ask me," she hinted.

"Kate, beautiful, perfect Kate, will you be my girlfriend?" his voice was coated in heavy emotion, he cupped her jaw gently in his hands and gazed intently into her eyes. She shook her head again, awkwardly, restricted by his hands. He gripped her tighter in response, trying to limit the movement.

"No," she drew. "But I'll be your partner. Just us, remember. I guess it's partners in a slightly different sense now," she shrugged, pretending the words, her agreement, weren't speeding the pace of her heart to beyond belief. He grinned.

"Very us," he breathed, leaning his face to hers and slanting his lips over hers. She could feel the smile in his kiss, could feel her face mirroring his in response. The kiss was light, gentle, not the fierce desperation of earlier. It was sweet, it spoke of beginnings and hope. It was everything a first kiss should be – despite being nothing of the sort. Besides, their actual first kiss was unique, it had a story to it, the writer in him found it immensely intriguing. As they pulled apart, Beckett remembered what she was doing in Castle's room in the first place.

"I need my pants," she admitted.

"I think what you're trying to say is, Castle remove my clothes and ravish me?" he replied with a broad grin.

"No, kind of the opposite," she arched her brow. "And here I was under the impression you were of the clever, perceptive persuasion," she teased.

"You're so mean to me," he whined.

"Guess you're just going to have to get used to it, Castle," she laughed.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he beamed, sincerity overflowing in his words.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The pair of them weren't at the loft much longer. Just the time it took them to dress and for Castle to go up and kiss Alexis a good morning and a goodbye rolled into one. Castle was beyond ecstatic that Beckett had merely pulled on her jeans, continuing to wear his t-shirt as they made the journey downtown to her apartment. They were barely at Beckett's ten minutes as she changed and readied herself for the day. It wasn't beyond him to appreciate that he was immensely lucky to have found a woman who didn't need to spend gratuitous amounts of time on her appearance yet still managed to show up any other woman who came into her presence. He really had gotten lucky.

As they neared the precinct Castle ordered Beckett to pull over the cruiser.

"I'll just be a minute," he argued as she shook her head at his request.

"Why?" she asked puzzled.

"Coffee," he shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Which it should have been, to her anyway.

"Oh right," she grinned at him, pulling over.

"Guess it slipped your mind considering you haven't had to stop for it yourself for the past three years," he teased gently.

"Mmm," she hummed. "You wonderful, consistent man."

"There's nothing like a well-oiled routine to kick off the day," he smiled, shrugging his shoulders a little in response to the gravity of her compliment. He pulled himself from the car, turning back to Beckett intending to bequeath her with a parting grin. Instead he found her moving from her side of the car to stand on the pavement beside him.

"New tradition," she suggested, taking his hand in hers and leaning into his side. "Let's get our coffee, Castle." He tightened his grip on her hand in response and tugged her into the quaint coffee shop. It buzzed with activity as they joined the line, neither noticing the man in the darkest corner of the shop staring pointedly at them, a scowl marring his face.


	29. Chapter 29

**AN:**** How many of you experienced an emotional overload that turned you practically catatonic from watching 47 Seconds? Just me? Excellent. To my reviewers, you guys seriously make my day! On that note, who guessed right this time?**

Chapter Twenty-Nine

_It buzzed with activity as they joined the line, neither noticing the man in the darkest corner of the shop staring pointedly at them, a scowl marring his face._

The man watched the intimacy of the pair as they waited patiently in line. Well, Castle was waiting patiently, Beckett was anxious to get to work, tapping her free hand against her thigh. Castle pulled her tighter into his side, brushing a kiss to her forehead. She stopped tapping instantly, her hand raising up to grasp his lapel, tugging him closer. She kissed him gently, surprised by how easily this change in intimacy came to her. Walls or not, she couldn't deny that her body responded to Castle's. That raw attraction kept her mind from running itself round in circles looking for an escape route she didn't really want. Still the man watched, his brow furrowed, as the couple broke away from the kiss, Castle drawing his hands up to caress Beckett's face, keeping her close.

"I have a feeling this could grow to be my favourite tradition," he gazed adoringly into her eyes, his breath mingling with hers as he held her there. She leant up and brushed his lips once more.

"I'm inclined to agree, Castle," she laughed throatily, still caught in the physical reaction of his lips moving against hers. Their observer had seen enough. He drained the dregs of his coffee and pushed himself from his seat. Neither Beckett nor Castle noticed his approach, their attention captivated completely by one another. If the line moved anytime soon they would surely be completely oblivious to it.

A hand grasped Beckett's shoulder, tightly. She whirled round, on the defensive, ready to attack. One of her hands already reaching for her gun.

"Dad," she gasped, confusion clouding her face. Castle jolted to awareness as she spun, shock colouring his face at the sight before him, Jim Beckett smirking somewhat sullenly at them. She took a step away from Castle, embracing her father in a brief hug.

"What are you doing here?" she muttered, rather embarrassed at being caught canoodling with Castle. It was as if the man could hear her thoughts, he was sweetly insufferable at times, dropping a hand to settle on the small of her back she spoke, using the undeniable gravitational pull he held over her to draw her leaning back closer to him in response.

"You did put a protective detail on my house last night, Katie. I thought I'd stop by the precinct and find out what all the fuss was about," he stated calmly. Oh right, that. It seemed perfectly logical that he'd want to know what was going on, and subtly check that she was alright. She couldn't really lie as easily to his face as she could over the phone, they both knew that. "But," Jim began again, after all Beckett had done in response was nod dumbly at him. "Now I'm a little bit more curious about what's going on here," he gestured to the couple in front of him, Beckett wishing the ground would open up and swallow her.

"We…uh…" she couldn't find the words, why wasn't Castle jumping in? He was the master of words after all, a wordsmith. She turned her face up to glare at him. His eyes were glazed over, evidently acutely nervous, his hand had frozen on her back, no longer stroking her base of her spine playfully. She almost laughed at that, scared of her father, seriously. Besides, her father liked Castle, she could see that. She nudged him gently. He cleared his throat, but he was at a loss for words. This was Beckett's place, not his. Jim chuckled softly at the pair before him, wrapped in their nerves and one another.

"Listen, it's not that I don't approve. Although, I'm not the biggest fan of your public displays of affection. I'm just a little hurt that you didn't tell me sooner, Katie. The second I saw you two walk in here I knew something had changed. I wish you'd told me, Katie," he sighed, the crease in his brow returning slightly.

"Oh Dad, it only happened last night. I would've come to tell you the minute we closed this case," Beckett smiled gently, her tone genuine.

"I'm sorry, _what_ happened last? Too much information" Jim spluttered. "Not what your father needs to hear," he added as an afterthought. Beckett gasped.

"Dad," she moaned. "Not that," she ground out through clenched teeth.

"Good," he muttered. "I am fully aware that you're saving yourself for your wedding night," he winked. "My sweet, innocent little girl."

"Dad," she repeated. "Could you embarrasses me anymore. Don't tell me you want to know my number as well," it burst from her lips before she had the chance to think it through, the second it reached her ears, her hands were clasped over her mouth, willing it unsaid.

"Oh," Jim reddened, a vein popping on his neck.

"So," Castle interjected. "How have you been, Jim? It's a pleasure to see you," he reached forward to shake the man's hand. Jim absentmindedly reached for Castle's hand, offering a limp handshake, his thoughts still lost on trying to think about anything other than his daughter's sexual history. Beckett glared at Castle in frustration.

"Couldn't have jumped in a little bit sooner there, Castle," she grunted. With that the tension was somewhat broken and awkward laughter spilled from the three of them.

"Do want to head back to the precinct," Castle began, his eyes intently on Beckett, "and your Dad and I will get the coffee and meet you there?"

"Not a chance," Beckett stated matter of factly. "Two reasons. Firstly, I'm not leaving the two of you to chat," she drew sharp air brackets as she finished the sentence. "Secondly, Castle, there's no way on earth I'm letting you out of my sight. Some kid will ask for help crossing the street and you'll be kidnapped all over again." Castle shook his head fiercely.

"No way, Beckett. Stranger danger lesson learned. No more mister nice guy," he added solemnly. She shook her head at him, her eyes sparkling playfully. They found themselves edging to the front of the queue. Castle placed their orders and the trio moved to the other end of the bench to wait. Castle frowned as he watched the barrister prepare their beverages.

"What," Beckett hedged, her eyes on him concerned.

"Oh nothing, it's just normally Carl's on in the mornings. I really like him, you know. He would have been so excited to see you," he sighed. Beckett arched her eyebrows at him.

"Not that I'm complaining, but don't you think it's just a little bit sad that you spend so much time at the coffee shop near the precinct that you know all the staff by name," she whispered, not wanting said staff to hear her mocking Castle.

"Well, if you weren't so particular about your coffee," he teased. She shoved him gently. "I don't know this guy though," he continued. "He must be new," he shrugged, taking the coffee as the unfamiliar barrister handed it to him with a strange smile, it was almost bordering on a grimace. Castle figured the man must just be having a hard time getting acquainted with the ins and outs of his new job, he gave him a winning bright smile in response. Hopefully the kindness of a stranger would help to improve his mood. Castle was a fan of friendly coffee shop employees. He hoped this guy would either lose the sullen attitude or seek alternative employment. No one wants to start off their day with the barrister bringing them down. Beckett tugged on his hand, drawing him from his thoughts, he slipped closer to her, mindful of Jim's watchful gaze, leaving the distance between them a fair bit wider than it had been on the way in. But still, closer than it had been in the past. The subtle nuances of the growing intimacy of their relationship were not hard to miss by the ones who knew them best.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Beckett had skulled her scalding coffee skilfully by the time they made it to the precinct, Castle was still nursing his, taking sips sporadically. He didn't really want to wake up too much in case it was all a dream. Beckett had stopped touching him when they'd reached the Twelfth, but she kept shooting him breathtaking smiles from across the room and that was more than enough for him whilst they were at work. She'd left Castle at her desk, taking her father into the break room to fill him in on the case. He sat there for about a minute, his attention span wavering quickly. Besides, he wasn't just bored, he was aching to have the case solved so he could take Beckett home, safe and sound, with nothing to fear. Well, with one less thing to fear anyway. He moved over to Ryan and Esposito's desks, joining them in pooling over the same financials from the previous day.

"This case blows," Ryan muttered to Castle, extending a highlight as he sat beside them.

"Dude, it's a lot easier when we actually have a body. We are homicide trained after all," Esposito inferred, clearly sharing Ryan's frustration. Castle raised his hand tentatively.

"Err, I for one am glad it's not a murder," he declared. "Chances are if you had a body it would be mine." The boys snickered a little in response, before Ryan patted Castle on the shoulder.

"We're really glad we took the time out of our busy schedules to save you, Castle. You know if Jenny had her way, you'd probably be dead. She really doesn't like me pulling all-nighters at the precinct," he remarked casually.

"Good to know," Castle snorted. "I'm sure Beckett and _Alexis_," he emphasized his daughter's name proudly, "would have had no trouble finding me without you guys. But thanks," he looked each of them in the eyes seriously for a moment. They grinned in response, before the conversation stilled, the focus returning to the information in front of them.

The elevator dinged and Lanie announced her presence with a satisfied smirk. "Hey Castle, how was your night?" Before he could respond with something teasing that would have undoubtedly knocked her socks off, Beckett was storming from the break room, a hand clenched to her stomach and another clasped over her mouth, her expression twisted. She was only in view for a moment before she disappeared into the bathroom. Castle was on his feet, following her, knocking his half-drunk coffee onto the floor. The liquid seeping through the lip of the cup forming a messy puddle. Lanie grasped his arm as he hurried past her, stilling him momentarily. She nodded at him as if to say, _I got it_. He sighed, ran a hand through his hair, his face drawn, concern etched sharply over it. He returned the nod, relinquishing control and Lanie brushed past him and into the bathroom.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Beckett was slumped over the rim of the toilet closest to the door, a light sheen coating her face. She turned her head slightly at the sound of someone entering, hoping desperately that Castle hadn't found her in this state. She smiled weakly at the realisation that it was Lanie who had stepped into the room and was regarding her with a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Girl, you aren't pregnant are you?" Lanie murmured, coming to squat beside her friend, brushing her hair back behind her ears gently. If Beckett wasn't feeling like crap she would have laughed.

"Not even a remote possibility," she managed to force out through clenched teeth, her stomach swirling with vomit.

"Okay. But you and Castle last night?" Lanie raised her eyebrows.

"So not the time, Lanie," Beckett ground out. "I'm guessing you won't drop it, so, no." The curl to Lanie's lips dropped, she pursed them slowly.

"You're killing me," she muttered.

"Lanie, not exactly feeling healthy here," Beckett reminded her.

"Lucky you've got a friend with medical training, right?" Lanie smiled, pressing her fingers to Beckett's forehead.

"I'd be luckier if she was putting it to good use instead of grilling me on my sex life," Beckett managed a weak eye-roll.

"It's probably just a fever," Lanie shrugged. "Have you eaten anything unusual?"

"Just coffee," Beckett gasped, pulling her head back over the toilet as she wretched the contents of her stomach into the bowel. "Oh, and eggs and toast at Castle's."

"It is so gross you figured that out by examining your stomach contents," Lanie drew out slowly. Beckett flushed the toilet in response. "Any other symptoms? Rashes? Etc.?" she added, the doctor in her taking control. Beckett shrugged.

"Not sure. Just one second I was fine and now I feel like crap," she admitted weakly.


	30. Chapter 30

**AN****: You guys are the best! Enough said. White Pawn, you manage to pick up on things I don't even consciously realise I'm doing – it's kind of amazing. Also, psychology, very cool. **

Chapter Thirty

"_Not sure. Just one second I was fine and now I feel like crap," she admitted weakly. _

Lanie sighed and patted her friend gently on the back.

"It's probably just a bug," she assured her friend. "You haven't got much sleep over the past couple of days so it's perfectly reasonable that your defences are down."

"Mmm," Beckett hummed weakly in response, her face pale and drawn.

"You should go home," Lanie suggested lightly, but Beckett felt the levity of her words, she wasn't going to take no for an answer. Which was unfortunate considering it was the only answer she was prepared to give. She shook her head defiantly.

"Can't. Gotta catch Dunnings. Keep Castle safe," she asserted, her tone lacking the usual conviction. Lanie arched her eyebrows at her friend, partly due to her refusal to go home but also somewhat impressed by her easy admission that she wanted to protect Castle. That made for a refreshing change from the usual denial of how deeply her feelings for Castle ran.

"Fine. You get worse I will drag your sorry butt home. You can't stay on the floor in here all day," Lanie conceded.

"Break room couch," Beckett croaked weakly, pulling herself up off the floor and washing out her mouth in the nearest basin. She drew her hands to her stomach and walked unsteadily from the room. Lanie was at her back, a hand raised to steady her if need be.

Castle was at her side before she'd cleared the doorway, a hand at her waist. She leaned into him, glancing round to see who was watching them, satisfied to find only their friends and her father. She wasn't all that happy with the matching concerned expressions on all their faces.

"I'm fine, it's just a bug," she answered their unspoken questions. No one looked all that relieved to hear it, still worried about her, used to her hiding her weak side from them. Seeing her sick and leaning into Castle for support was somewhat disconcerting. She didn't need to tell Castle that she wasn't intending on going home, he was already steering her towards the break room.

"You should go to the doctor," he whispered, the sound echoing deeply his lips at her ear.

"You know that's not going to happen," she grumbled, gripping him tighter.

"I know. But I wouldn't be me if I didn't try make you go," he smiled softly.

"Yeah," she sighed. "It's one of the reasons why I love you so much," she admitted, her filter obviously impaired by the lightheaded ill feeling running rampant through her body. Castle froze momentarily, then remembering their surroundings, he half-carried her into the break room, slamming the door shut behind them. Ecstatic didn't even begin to cover the emotional turmoil rushing through his heart, his nerves on edge. Teetering on the cusp of forever. It was unnerving, it was amazing. He hurriedly shut the blinds surrounding the room, his hands shaking. Beckett lowered herself onto the couch, a hand pressed to her forehead, a feeble attempt at controlling the dull ache in her skull.

"Beckett," he whispered eagerly, coming to rest on his knees beside her, tangling his fingers with hers. "Really?"

"Mmm, course," she mumbled, smiling feebly at him. He kissed her fiercely, quickly, not wanting to worsen her condition.

"I don't think it really counts if you're practically unconscious," he teased, a hint of seriousness behind his words.

"You're one to talk," she practically slurred, close to falling asleep.

"Touché my dear detective," he chuckled softly, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek. He sat with her for a moment, stroking her hand as she lapsed into sleep, whatever sickness this was clearly draining her.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"What do you think they're doing in there?" Esposito hinted suggestively, coming to stand beside Lanie.

"Probably hoping whatever Beckett's got is not contagious," Ryan chimed in. Esposito grinned widely and extended his hand to his partner, 'feeding-the-birds'.

"So did my man finally manage to seal the deal last night?" Esposito directed the question at Lanie, nudging her gently to ensure he had her attention. The trio were so entirely focussed on the shut door in front of them, they forgot about the addition to their party, who could clearly hear every word of their reasonably hushed conversation. Jim Beckett cleared his throat loudly at Esposito's words. The cop startled, jerking away from Lanie and turning to Jim, his face flushed. "I, um, sorry, Sir," he choked out.

"Your apology isn't going to help me un-hear it," Jim muttered, a wry grin on his face. Esposito smiled awkwardly in response.

"How was Beckett this morning," Lanie asked Jim, still concerned about her friend's health.

"She seemed healthy to me, and really, really happy," he smiled softly, remembering the adoring gazes and subtle touches shared between his daughter and her writer as they waited in line at the coffee shop. He glad they'd finally succumbed to the inevitable chemistry between them, Richard Castle really did make his daughter happy. She'd been a different person since his books, and the man himself had wormed his way into her life. "Oh," he said recollecting the conversation they'd had that morning. "Katie was telling me the truth, right? Her and Castle only started dating or whatever it is you kids call it these days last night?" Lanie spluttered, her jaw dropping open.

"That girl is dead. What happened to keeping me in the damn loop?" she breathlessly declared. Esposito and Ryan managed to school the shock on their face, sharing a look that spoke volumes. Beckett and Castle had been on the brink of this for so long, it didn't seem real. But there was no way Beckett would have told her father unless it was serious.

"They're together?" Ryan exclaimed.

"For real?" Esposito added. Jim nodded, perturbed by the fact that none of their friends seemed aware of the ever increasing intimacy between the partners.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it. Guess the secret's out now," he guilty confessed.

"Oh no," Lanie said patting the older man's shoulder. "You did the right thing. Boy are we going to have fun with this," she grinned at her friends. Their faces blossomed into matching grins.

"I want to hear the story, I bet it's romantic," Ryan sighed whimsically.

"You are such a girl," Esposito frowned.

"No, I'm a romantic. Chicks dig it. You should try it sometime," Ryan retorted, with an arched eyebrow.

"Whatever. We both know I got it with the ladies," he smirked. Lanie rolled her eyes.

"Please," she snorted.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Castle manoeuvred himself onto the couch to hold Beckett as she slept. Concerned as he was about the case, the opportunity to hold a practically dormant Beckett who wouldn't fuss over his clinginess, it was too good to pass up. Plus, he was feeling a little off himself, it was probably because he was curled around Beckett so tightly, breathing her stale air. Small sacrifice. Totally worth it he surmised. It wasn't long before he drifted off as well, his stomach feeling unsettled but the exhaustion overpowered the uncomfortable sick feeling.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The boys had returned to the case, frustratedly glaring at the break room door every few minutes, clearly stuck and needing Castle's crazy theories and Beckett's perceptive insights. Jim had taken up residence at Beckett's desk, half-heartedly reading one of Castle's novels that he found in a drawer, his eyes flitting to the door every few seconds, innately worried about his daughter but trusting Castle enough to care for her.

None of the men in the room paid much attention to the clicking of heels on the wooden floor, alerting them to the presence of an additional person. Gates extended her hand to Jim.

"Mr Beckett, I presume," she greeted him.

"You presume correctly," he smiled politely. "Nice to meet you Captain. I've heard so much about you."

"Hmm, none of it good I'm sure," she smirked, arching her eyebrows. Jim chuckled lightly in response.

"Where's your daughter? Off tracking down Dunnings without telling me where she's going again?" she sighed in annoyance.

"No. I like to think she's learnt her lesson about that," Jim muttered. "She's in there," he gestured at the break room, not quite sure if he should mention to his daughter's boss that she was evidently unwell. Esposito who had been silently watching the exchange from his desk jumped to his feet.

"I got it, Sir. Beckett's just refilling the coffee, you know how it is," he lied nervously, his hand on the break room door handle. He jerked it open and plunged into the room, an edgy glace over his shoulder at Gates. Being a detective, and an experienced one at that, Gates knew something was up.

"Excuse me," she said to Jim, following Esposito into the break room. He was leaning over the sleeping forms of Castle and Beckett, gently shaking them.

"Castle, bro. Beckett. You gotta wake up. Gates is looking for you. C'mon," he muttered at them as his attempts to wake them gently failed. Gates cleared her throat, causing Esposito to jump nervously. "Can't say I didn't warn you," he whispered. Gates eyed the picture before her carefully before speaking. Castle's arms were wrapped tightly around Beckett, her head lolling on his chest. She wasn't exactly impressed with what she saw.

"Detective Beckett," she began loudly, the irritation in her voice evident. Still the pair remained sleeping. Esposito was regarding them with a puzzled expression that was bordering on just plain panicked.

"I don't think they're waking up," he admitted, concern coating his words. He shook them harder. "Beckett. Castle. Wake up!" Gates gazed at them more intently, ignoring the compromising position and focusing on their appearances. Both were obviously pale and covered in a light layer of sweat that added a too-shiny tone to their complexions. The steady rise and fall of their chests indicated that they were breathing fairly normally, but the yellowing around their lips was disconcerting.

"Call an ambulance," she instructed Esposito tersely. His tone flickered to terrified for a second before he was out the door, phone at his ear.


	31. Chapter 31

**AN:**** It's really great to hear that people are still just discovering this story & enjoying it! Special mention to White Pawn as always, you truly have mastered flattery – personally, I think it's an indispensible skill. In regards to the medical information in this chapter, Google tells me it's actually relatively accurate. On a slightly more depressing note (in some ways) I'm going away for the weekend, it's my friend's 21****st**** so my updating regularity may decrease. Apologies for the cliff-hanger! **

Chapter Thirty-One

"_Call an ambulance," she instructed Esposito tersely. His tone flickered to terrified for a second before he was out the door, phone at his ear. _

Jim watched Esposito rush from the break room and overheard snippets of his frantic conversation.

"Unconscious…nausea…best cop…hurry," it was enough to pull him from his seat and drive him anxiously into the room, unable to contain his concern. He ignored Gates' presence in the room and slumped to his knees beside the passed out forms of his daughter and her partner.

"Katie," he pleaded, urgency lacing his tone. "Wake up." Her eyes flickered open for a moment before rolling back in her head.

"Uh," she gasped softly. It was the only response Jim could get from her, she was out again after that. Neither her nor Castle showing any signs of responsiveness before the EMT's arrived to whisk them from the building. Jim refusing to leave Beckett's side even as she was manoeuvred into the ambulance.

"You can ride with her," the EMT grunted as he loaded her into the van. Jim simply nodded his response, he wasn't intending on doing anything but that in the first place. This was his precious little girl, his family in its entirety, there was nothing on heaven or earth that could keep him from her side in this moment.

"I'm riding with him," Lanie was adamant. The EMT didn't have the chance to refuse as she followed Castle into the ambulance that was waiting for him. "Love of my girl's life, someone's gotta take care of him," she muttered to herself as she gripped Castle's hand tightly, worry for both Castle and Beckett her only thought. How much could the pair of them go through in the past couple of days and survive anyway? More than this she certainly hoped. Everyone was going to be surviving if she had anything to do with it. Except the bastard that put them into this position. He was a dead man for sure. She was feeling insanely guilty for coming to the conclusion that Beckett merely had the flu. Of course with a psychopath out to get her friends on the loose she should have assumed something like this. The sense of guilt was overwhelming. She wished she had forced Beckett to go the hospital the moment she felt unwell. If this went badly, she was most certainly going to blame herself. She couldn't lose her best friend, she just couldn't. Beckett was irreplaceable. She didn't intend on replacing her in the first place.

The boys and Gates watched as Beckett and Castle were ushered determinedly into the ambulances. They stood on the curb with matching expressions of confusion and fear clouding their expressions. Gates was first to regain some semblance of business as usual.

"What's Alexis Castle's phone number?" she directed to no one in particular. Ryan startled from the semi-daze he'd been in, staring after the ambulances as they drove away.

"Ah, here," he pulled out his phone, found the number and handed it to Gates. She dialled the number and drew it hastily to her ear.

"Miss Castle, it's Captain Gates here," she heard Alexis gulp somewhat nervously in response, but she didn't interrupt. "Your father and Detective Beckett have been taken to the hospital. It looks like they've been poisoned," she was aiming for gentle but it came out sounding harsh and all-too professional.

"Oh God," Alexis cried. She forgot she was still on the phone and immediately screeched through the loft in search of Martha. "Grams! Grams! Dad's hurt…again. We have to go to the hospital – now," she demanded, her tone high-pitched, coursing with fear. Gates realising that the girl had evidently forgotten about her and she hung up the phone. She wasn't one to intrude on the family's private moment of chaos and concern.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The ride to the hospital was terse for both Lanie and Jim. Castle and Beckett were oblivious, caught in a world between dreams and nothingness. As the pair were wheeled into emergency, Lanie found a fired up Alexis in the waiting room, imploring a nurse for information. She was riled, her face red and her eyes tear-filled. The nurse was gesturing her obliviousness, trying to keep concern the dominant feature on her expression, as opposed to the frustration she was obviously feeling.

"Please, you have to know something," Alexis demanded angrily, rocking on her feet, unable to stay still, worry adding adrenalin to her body. The nurse looked like she was about to politely respond when Lanie cut it, Jim on her heels –

"Alexis," the girl turned to her, the nurse forgotten.

"What the hell is happening now?" she asked furiously. Martha was at her shoulder, gently resting a hand on her granddaughters arm as she started shifting towards Lanie.

"Beckett was sick, vomiting, fever. Castle took her to the break room. When Espo went looking for her about twenty minutes later, both her and your Dad were unconscious. Their breathing and heart-rate are normal though. The EMT thinks they might have been poisoned. I think they might have been poisoned," Lanie admitted.

"How?" Alexis pressed.

"I'm not sure. I'd assume they ingested it," Lanie supplied. Her words prompted Jim's memory of the events of the morning.

"Coffee," he drew out brokenly, clearing his throat before continuing. "Castle was disappointed, his usual barrister wasn't there. He was muttering to Katie about it." Alexis frowned. Lanie pulled her phone from her pocket and sent a quick text to Esposito.

"I can see where your daughter gets her detecting skills from," Lanie attempted with a smile that didn't come close to reaching her eyes. Jim's responding one was even weaker, it fell distinctly into the grimace class. They fell into silence. Martha holding Alexis' hand tightly. Jim and Lanie sat side by side, finding little solace in the shared proximity but each happy to have the other nearby all the same.

After some time a white-coated doctor approached the nurses' station and was directed toward the group of Castle and Beckett's loved ones by the same nurse Alexis had flustered.

"Richard Castle and Katherine Beckett's family I presume," he was met with a round of solemn nods. "Toxicology reports showed a concentrated dose of Acetaminophen in their systems. Do you know what that is?"

"It's pretty common," Lanie interjected. "Found in a range of over the counter drugs like flu tablets and pain medication."

"Right," the doctor nodded, giving Lanie an appraising glance. The venom that flashed through her eyes assured him that his only option was focussing on his patients, not flirting with their loved ones. He shifted his gaze back to the group as a whole, continuing. "Both Richard and Katherine had ingested unusually large amounts. Acetaminophen is not lethal in small amounts, however overdose is not unheard of. It can result in liver failure or death if not treated within eight hours. They were lucky to be brought in when they were." At the mention of overdose and death Alexis had stilled, the only movement she made were the tears streaming down her face.

"Oh darling," Martha sighed, pulling the girl to her chest. "They came in quick enough though, so they'll be fine?" her usually confident tone wavered somewhat as she softly demanded answers from the doctor.

"It looks like they should both make a full recovery," he smiled half-heartedly, he had no personal investment in these patients, he was at the end of a substantial shift and exhausted, he didn't have to energy to muster an enthusiastic grin as he imparted news of his patients' conditions.

"Good," Martha breathed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the doctor shrugged.

"Can we go see them?" Alexis requested. The doctor shook his head as he responded.

"Not yet. They're having their stomachs pumped as we speak. I'll send someone out to get you when they're ready for visitors," he said as gently as he could manage, before turning and heading back into the wing of the hospital he'd come from. Alexis watched him retreat before slumping further into her grandmother who caressed her back soothingly.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Castle woke up slowly, his mind was blurry and his vision mirrored it, hazy around the edges. He slowly dragged himself from the fuzziness, taking in his surroundings carefully. He was in similar hospital room as earlier, the only difference, another bed in the room, with Beckett's still form laying in it. The only sign of life the beeping monitors and the steady rise and fall of her chest. That and that alone was the only thing that prevented Castle from plunging across the room to her side.

"Beckett," he croaked, desperately, his voice barely a whisper.

"Oh she's just fine," an indistinct face swaying into his foggy line of vision. "I'd be more worried about yourself," the stranger smirked. Castle tried to sit up, level himself with the unfamiliar man before him. The movement caused him to hiss, his already bruised hands once again tightly bound, this time to the metal frame of the hospital bed. An increasing sense of doom blossomed in the pit of his stomach.

"Dunnings?" he managed, whether it was the fear or the recent poisoning restricting his throat he wasn't sure. The man chuckled menacingly.

"Very good," he sneered. Castle blinked fervently a few times, attempting to clear his vision. Eventually the haze in his eyes shifted. Dunnings was standing over him, his posture suggesting that he clearly felt confident that whatever plan he was currently orchestrating would be more successful than the last one. He was dressed in scrubs; Castle noted the hospital ID pinned to the front of them. Apparently this cover ran fairly deep. That was never a good sign. "This is no fun," he added after moment of Castle silently studying him. "Let's wake her up," he suggested, with a sly wink. He drew a syringe from his pocket and moved deliberately towards Beckett.

"No!" Castle gasped, struggling ardently against his bonds and failing to achieve more than writhing around futilely. "Don't touch her," he forced out through clenched teeth.

"Relax," Dunnings drawled with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Worst case scenario I kill her and she misses out on all the fun," he shrugged. Castle continued to struggle against his bonds, tears prickling bitingly in his eyes, hot and desperate. Dunnings plunged the needle into Beckett's thigh as Castle uselessly watched on. She burst to life with a muted scream, confusion etching over her expression as she tried to jump to a seated position, evidently bound to the bed as Castle was.

"Beckett, Beckett," Castle exclaimed, trying to ascertain if she was okay. Her eyes flickered madly around the room, unable to focus on anything for longer than a second. Her breathing was ragged and she looked terrified. Castle was beyond concerned, he was frantic. "What the hell was that?" he snarled, turning to glare at Dunnings, his expression livid.

"Just your ordinary, everyday shot of adrenaline," he smiled wickedly. "It shouldn't do too much permanent damage," he added, obviously not all that concerned about Beckett's long term medical condition. He didn't care if she died, as long as he got to torture her first. This was the perfect circumstance for that. He waited a moment or two for the adrenaline to wear off somewhat and for Beckett to get her bearings.

"Castle," she choked out weakly after a moment.

"Beckett. Kate, it's okay," Castle's words were reassuring but his tone was more than a little uncertain. Dunnings chuckled at the exchange.

"It was incredible tedious waiting for the two of you to wake up. Let's not waste time with chit-chat," he grinned.


	32. Chapter 32

**AN****: Amazing doesn't even begin to cover the response to the last chapter, thank you all so much! To Nat who raised a hell of a valid point (don't know why I didn't think of that – apparently logic eludes me at times) I hope I've addressed it sufficiently in this chapter. **

Chapter Thirty-Two

"_It was incredibly tedious waiting for the two of you to wake up. Let's not waste time with chit-chat," he grinned. _

Beckett was struggling to form words, her mind was cloudy and her throat was aching and dry. Throwing up never did her vocal ability any favours. That, coupled with the crippling fear was enough to keep the words from exiting her mouth. Castle, on the other hand, had found his voice and was doing his darndest to use it.

"Help!" he shrieked, anxiety adding a high-pitched quality to his tone that was not all that becoming for a man. It wasn't the time to be worrying about how masculine he sounded in front of Beckett though, getting them away from this psychopath was slightly higher on his list of priorities. "Anyone, please help!"

Dunnings was observing the pair of them silently, doing nothing to prevent Castle from calling out.

"No one's going to hear you," he mentioned coolly, a menacing smile his most prominent feature. "Don't you think the room looks lovely?" Beckett regarded him with a fixed glare, confusion the undercurrent emotion. Why on earth was he talking about the aesthetics of the room at all? He noted their confusion and panic and chuckled in response. "This entire wing of the hospital is being renovated. We're the only people here… Isn't that fantastic, I do so love privacy," he smirked. "Oh, and that lovely uniformed officer who was posted outside of your room may have accidently stumbled onto a tranquiliser. We won't have to worry about her bothering us." The resolve slipped from Beckett's glare, leaving unmasked fear the only expression in her eyes.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Ryan hung up the phone, expelling a frustrated breath of air.

"That was the manager of the coffee shop Castle and Beckett got their coffee from this morning," he informed Esposito, as well as Gates who had come to stand beside his partner, tight lipped and arms crossed. Evidently she was not happy that this was the path the morning had taken. Poisoned cops were most certainly not on her agenda, nor were poisoned civilian consultants for that matter. Ryan waited a moment, ascertaining that the attention in the room was most certainly directed fully on him. "He said that Carl Pardray usually takes the morning shift but he called in sick this morning, very last minute. The manager was furious, told him he had to show up or he would lose his job. Carl said that a friend who had barrister training would cover his shift. The manager agreed that as long as Carl vouched for the guy then he could do the shift, but if the guy screwed up then it's Carl's job on the line."

"Did he say if Carl sounded sick?" Gates inquired, her tone somewhat brash. Worry for Beckett and Castle definitely not softening her as far as outward appearances were concerned. Ryan glanced at the notes he'd taken whilst on the phone.

"Mentioned that Carl sounded a little off, but nothing too unusual," he shrugged.

"Anything else?" Gates prompted, wanting to draw the debriefing of the conversation to a close so that everybody could get back to work.

"Carl had never pulled a stunt like that before, usually a model employee, great with the customers. The guy who took his shift wasn't too bad, got the job done sufficiently, apart from taking the time to poison Castle and Beckett," he added dryly.

"I spoke to the hospital," Esposito cut in. "They haven't had any other reports of poisoning apart from Beckett and Castle. It was definitely intended for them."

"Dunnings," Gates sighed, somewhat exasperatedly. "We need to get him back off the streets before he tries anything else." The boys nodded ardently, they were in full support of that particular plan.

"We're going to go check out Carl's place. We'll let you know if we find anything," Esposito informed Gates, effectively ending the conversation. She nodded curtly at them before heading back into her office.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Mr Pardray," Esposito shouted, banging on the front door of the rundown apartment building. There was no response, so he intensified his efforts. "Carl Pardray! It's the NYPD, we're coming in." He signalled Ryan who forced the door open with a grunt.

The sight that greeted the detectives curled their hardened stomachs somewhat. The apartment was small and decrepit, the dank living room was filled with the fresh corpse of the homeowner himself, Carl Pardray.

"I'm going to call Lanie," Esposito gritted out through clenched teeth. From the amount of the blood leeching into the worn and already stained carpet it didn't look as if this killing had been merciful.

He disappeared from the room for a moment to make the call, heading back out into the hallway of the apartment building where the air was a bit fresher and the scene less gruesome. Ryan's eyes perused the body carefully, taking note of the way in which the blood was splattered and anything out of ordinary in the room. The messy and dishevelled condition that the apartment seemed to be in generally was not making the task any easier. He moved closer to the body, eyes still carefully scanning, he zeroed in on the weird angle that Carl's left hand was slowly stiffening in. Pulling on gloves he nudged the hand carefully, a scrunched up ball of yellowed paper slipping out from under it. He pulled the corners, smoothing the creases out a little before taking in the words scrawled on the paper, the print wasn't exactly neat but the message was clear all the same.

"Espo," he called tensely, holding up the note, preparing to read it solemnly to his partner as he came back into the room. "Found this in Carl here's hand. You're not going to like it."

"What's it say?" Esposito's pace quickened, coming to stand beside his partner, gingerly avoiding stepping on the corpse in the cramped living room.

"Here's a whodunit for you. The individual responsible for this innocent man's death is NYPD Detective Kate Beckett," Ryan read, his tone casual, his expression anything but. Esposito scoffed immediately in response, indignation flaring on his face.

"Beckett would never murder anyone," he declared adamantly.

"I know," Ryan rolled his eyes. "What this means is Dunnings is killing people to get to Beckett… and Castle," he added as an afterthought. Understanding dawned on Esposito.

"With that man's strewn moral compass, Beckett is responsible for Carl's murder because if she had just stood back and left Castle to rot with that madwoman then he wouldn't have had to find another way to torture her, and Carl would still be alive," he muttered.

"That's some skewed logic right there," Ryan agreed.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The mood in the waiting room was palpable with tension. Martha still laid a comforting hand on Alexis, but both the red-headed women's eyes were trained on the nurses' station, willing another doctor to appear and inform them that they were allowed to visit their loved one.

After some time had passed and still no word, Alexis expelled a broken sigh and turned to her grandmother.

"I'm so over this. He always gets hurt. She always lets him get hurt. I can't handle it anymore," angry tears lapsed at the rim of her eyes as she glared at Martha, desperately hoping for answers she knew weren't coming. Martha drew a deep breath and continued her soothing movements.

"Kiddo, you know Detective Beckett wants to protect your father…" she started carefully, not wanting to anger the child before her anymore. As much of a mature young woman that she was, she was still her daddy's little girl and no little girl likes the idea of their father being placed in harm's way over and over again.

"Half the reason Kate hasn't shacked up with your Dad already is because she's so worried about putting him in danger," Lanie cut in, coming to sit beside Alexis, ensuring that she was sufficiently implanted into this conversation. She wasn't about to sit back and watch Castle's daughter pin all his troubles on her best friend. "All she wants is to protect him, even if it means protecting him from herself."

"I guess I can see that," Alexis admitted cautiously. "But she's not doing a very good of protecting him. Whatever she's doing, it's just not working," she added biting her lip. She respected Lanie, she worked with her after all. But she wasn't in the mood to have her jumping to Beckett's defence, especially when she was desperately looking for a scapegoat – someone to blame for all this madness. If being angry and having someone to blame distracted her from the unadulterated worry that was threatening to reduce her to a frantic, quivering mess, then pinning this on Beckett was something she was planning on doing.

"No," Lanie shook her head. "You didn't see how petrified she was last night. Beckett would throw herself in front of a bullet to protect Castle, without a moment's hesitation." Martha was the only one to notice Jim shudder at Lanie's words. The others were too caught up in the conversation, staring heatedly at one another, Alexis biting back childlike anger, on the cusp on a full-blown tantrum and Lanie adamantly loyal to her friend and not afraid to fight for her.

"That's the problem," Alexis gritted out, "he shouldn't be near bullets in the first place."

"You can not put that on Beckett," Lanie fiercely declared.

"She's right, sweetheart," Martha gently edged her way back into the conversation. "You know how many times Beckett has kicked him out and he's forced his way back in."

"She tells him to stay in the car and the next second he's at her heels," Lanie added, with a subtle smile at Martha, glad to have the older woman's support in this conversation.

"It's not his fault," Alexis argued, glaring at her grandmother.

"Oh darling, he's a grown man. He's completely responsible for the amount of danger he brings on himself," Martha responded with a frown. "I'm not happy about it either, you know that right?" Alexis nodded sadly, the anger in her eyes flashing to grief.

"I think the thing that gets me the most is that I feel like Dad gives Beckett so much, he loves her so much and he isn't scared to show her. But she refuses to show him. I mean, there are little moments where she opens up, but I just don't see her ever being ready to really _be_ with Dad. Without that I don't see him ever being happy. It's just not fair," Alexis divulged with a downcast expression. Her eyes dropped to her hands curled tensely in her lap and she missed the silent exchange that went on above her head. Lanie wanted to grin; naturally Beckett and Castle had been too busy this morning to mention to Alexis that they'd finally taken a step forward in their relationship. It was a little heartening to know that this was part of what Alexis was so worried about, the harm befalling her father's heart. The physical fear they couldn't quell right now, but the emotional? Surely one of the adults in the waiting room could help her with that. After all, they were all in on what appeared to be a secret for the most part, that Beckett and Castle had barely stopped smiling adoringly and lovingly places small, burning touches on one another all day. The unspoken conversation landed the ball of the responsibility of divulging the truth in Jim's court. It seemed fitting somehow that if Alexis' own father couldn't tell her what was going on then Kate's could.

"Alexis," he began carefully, his tone friendly but admittedly a little hesitant. It wasn't exactly his place after all. "I'm sure your father and Katie were waiting for the opportune moment to tell you this, but I guess now is as good a time as any," he chuckled half-heartedly, a little nervous about overstepping and angering his daughter and her partner. "When I met up with your father and Katie for coffee this morning they had some news for me…" he paused for a moment, caught in the memory of how happy his daughter had been just hours earlier. His stomach clenched in concern, he sincerely hoped with all his heart that she was doing okay. Alexis wasn't the only one anxious for the patients to be allowed visitors in the distinctly present future. "They're dating," he added, bringing himself back to the conversation, noting that Alexis was regarding him intently waiting for his contribution to the conversation. At his words, she drew a muted gasp, raising her hands to clasp over her mouth.

"What?" she shook her head, dazed somewhat. "I'm sorry, Mr Beckett, but I don't believe you."

"There was most definitely something going on this morning," Martha added, a small twinkle back in her eyes at the memory. Lanie nodded her support.

"It was all Beckett could talk about when she was busy throwing up in the toilet," Lanie supplied. Alexis regarded each of the people around her carefully, eyeing them all for a moment or two. She pursed her lips a while longer, caught in quiet contemplation. Finally her mouth spread into a grin, echoed gently by a shine in her eyes.

"Wow," she breathed softly. "Dad is going to be in such a good mood, like forever… It's been so long coming, yet somehow I still didn't expect it," she admitted quietly, her tone reflective with an air of shock. Jim grasped her hand gently for a second before dropping it.

"I think we're all feeling a bit like that," he laughed tenderly. Lanie opened her mouth to assure them all that she most certainly knew it was coming and a long time coming at that, when her phone shrilled and she answered it with a frown.

"Hi Javi," she listened solemnly, her expressing dropping noticeably. Clearly Esposito had something to say, Lanie barely threw in a, "Uh-huh…I'll be there soon…" before the call was over and she faced the other occupants of the waiting room with a frown. "They found the barrister, Castle's usual one, not the one who poisoned them. He was murdered in his apartment this morning. I've got to go. Can one of you call me when you know more about Beckett and Castle's condition." With that she spun from the room and was gone before the others had a realistic opportunity to form a coherent response.

"Oh boy," Jim managed after Lanie's figure had retreated from view. "This Dunnings character means business."

"Yeah," Alexis murmured. "I'm just glad we know that Dad and Beckett are both in the hospital and safe. I'd be worried sick if I didn't know where they were."


	33. Chapter 33

**AN****: I'm really quite depressed that this story has to end at some stage (don't worry; there's at least a couple more chapters before that happens). I'm going to miss your reviews more than I care to think about. To White Pawn, I think speechless is about the only thing that springs to mind. **

Chapter Thirty-Three

"_I'm just glad we know that Dad and Beckett are both in the hospital and safe. I'd be worried sick if I didn't know where they were."_

Little did Alexis know just how wrong she was. In that very moment Dunnings was running a scalpel up and down Castle's forearm, he wasn't pushing it sharply enough to draw blood. He was just revelling in the contorted look of pain on Beckett's face with every stroke.

"Whoops," he laughed quietly, as he pushed the tip of the blade through the first couple of layers of Castle's skin, resulting in a bleeding nick. It wasn't deep, but that didn't stop Castle from wincing slightly, his arms jerking unthinkingly, trying to pull away.

"Why Peter?" Beckett whispered dejectedly, she surmised if she got him talking it would at least slow the assault on Castle.

"You know why," he hissed.

"No, I really don't. It's not like you were innocent. You killed those people, you know it as well as I do. So why all the need for revenge?" She found her voice as she spoke, it slowly becoming clearer, the determination lacing her tone strengthening.

"Oh, it's not about the life imprisonment, Detective," he murmured coolly. "I suppose after killing a few people I had that coming," he chuckled, it was an eerie noise, devoid of humour. "It's not about the why, Detective, it's about the when, it's about the how."

"Huh?" Beckett managed, the cryptic tone the conversation was taking puzzling her exceedingly. She was met with the humourless chuckle again, it was quickly becoming her least favourite sound, second only to the whimpering that had escaped Castle as the scalpel sliced through his skin. She drew her eyes away from Dunnings and chanced a glance at Castle, his face was paler than normal, a small stream of blood running from his forearm onto the sheets of the hospital bed. The crisp white stained blotchy red around his arm. He looked her in the eye and attempted a weak smile. He wanted to reassure that he was fine, that they were fine. She remained unconvinced, the look in his eyes just convincing her further that they needed to reverse to situation somehow. She was torn from her quiet contemplation by Dunnings who was eyeing her steadily.

"The when and how of my arrest, Detective," he glared at her as he spoke, his tone still a mask of self-control, shadowing his true emotional state. Beckett drew her mind back to Dunnings' arrest. They'd stormed a warehouse where he'd been in the middle of making some untoward deal, surrounded by his cronies and the weasel-faced man he'd been negotiating with. If she wasn't restricted to the bed she would have shrugged, it seemed like a fairly ordinary arrest to her. Obviously Dunnings was inclined to disagree, but why? Dunnings was silent for a moment, then clearly becoming impatient that Beckett was only looking more confused when he'd been hoping for clarity to overcome her features, he continued. "Let's start with the when shall we. To be honest, it's not my biggest concern, but we'll get into the how momentarily. My arrest took place a week before my wedding. You kind of put those plans on the backburner. Then the little bitch I was marrying went and left me so I had to have her killed and believe me, I wasn't happy about that. She was a real looker. But, on the bright side, I'm ever the optimist and that whole kerfuffle gave me this idea about how to exact my revenge. Eye for eye and all that."

"We all know the only person you've ever really loved is yourself, Dunnings," Castle intoned seriously. "You can't blame that on Beckett." If Beckett wasn't restrained to the bed she would have twisted Castle's ear for that, never a smart move to antagonise the man in the midst of torturing you. Still, it was kind of nice to have Castle always at her side looking out for her, overprotective and foolish as he may be. It was also very perceptive of Castle to draw that truth from their exchange with Dunnings, from Beckett's more extensive history of dealing with the man she had reached the same conclusion.

"Look at you jumping to Detective Beckett's defence, how very sweet," Dunnings replied dryly. "You do raise a valid point. However, you're wrong in one regard. I love my brother. Which brings us to the how of my arrest." He paused for a moment, clearly enjoying the power he held in the conversation.

"Your brother wasn't there when we arrested you," Beckett protested.

"Not the point, Detective," Dunnings retorted with a snort.

"Then what is the point here, Dunnings? Because I'm struggling to see it," Beckett hedged, trying to progress the conversation, to keep the man talking and to find some answers.

"You humiliated me," he sneered. "You arrested me in front of my subordinates, you made a joke about how I was less than a man. I could see it in all their eyes, they were trying not to laugh. I was the most powerful man in that room, they all feared me, then in that moment, I lost it. You took my power. You left me the laughing stock of the men I ruled over," his eyes were fierce, his tone indignant. For a man who sought to be in control of every situation, the loss of it was unthinkable. Castle hadn't even known Beckett at the time of the arrest but he could see it play out clearly in his mind, intelligent, witty and beautiful and not even pausing before seizing control of the room, unintentionally humiliating Dunnings and sending him into this haze of revenge and hate. "The worst part is," Dunnings snarled, growing impatient over the lack of reaction from either Beckett or Castle. "I couldn't protect my brother from the inside, not after my power was taken from me. I was no longer the ruthless monster that they feared, I was just another washed up loser behind a cell door. That is why you're going to pay," he turned his full attention on Beckett, and Beckett alone, Castle momentarily forgotten. "You ruined me and the only person I ever truly cared about. So now I'm going to destroy the person you care about most, and the best part? I'm going to enjoy every second of it," the calm and collected tone in which he spoke his threat pierced Beckett's heart.

X-X-X-X-X-X

It didn't take long for Lanie to arrive at the scene. Her preliminary findings were what they had been expecting. Time of death was earlier that morning, around the same time Carl had called in sick to work. Cause of death was a stab to the heart, although with all the other slices to his torso the blood loss hadn't exactly done him any favours.

"You know Castle was right," Ryan admitted heavily. "I liked this case a heck of a lot more when there was no murder victim," he frowned. Esposito patted him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, bro. Let's canvass the rest of the apartment building, surely someone heard something."

"Uh," Lanie cut in, "I wouldn't be so sure someone heard something. See this bruising around his jaw and around his wrists. I'd say his hands were tied behind his back and Dunnings stabbed him with his right hand and held something up to muffle his cries with the left."

"Thanks Lanie," Esposito nodded. The boys moved from the back of the building through to the front, there was a sense of hopelessness. It appeared Lanie was onto something, no one they had questioned had heard or seen anything out of the ordinary. They reached the last door and Ryan sighed.

"Here we go," he muttered with a brisk knock on the door. "Good day Ma'am," he smiled politely at the shrivelled old woman, holding up his badge. She glanced at it through squinted eyes and drew the door further open, ushering them in. The musky scent was overwhelming, but the detectives managed to mask their gagging. Ryan coughing quickly before taking the seat offered to him by the woman.

"Would you like some water?" her face wrinkling even more in concern.

"I'm fine," Ryan stated. She turned her gaze on Esposito, he shook his head with a courteous smile.

"What can I help you nice young men with?" she beamed, clearly excited to be entertaining house guests.

"How well do you know Carl Pardray in number five?" Ryan smiled sweetly at her.

"Oh Carl, he's a lovely young man. He always helps me bring up my groceries and asks about my grandchildren," she gestured to the numerous photos of freckled smiling children lining the walls. "I have thirteen of them you know," she stated proudly, her chest puffing out. "Carl's not in any trouble is he?" she gazed at them speculatively.

"No Ma'am," Ryan gently took the woman's hand. "I'm sorry to tell you, but Carl Pardray was murdered this morning." She gasped, tears welling in her aged eyes.

"No," she breathed out slowly. "That's dreadful. Have you caught the person responsible?"

"Not yet, but we will Ma'am," he reassured her softly. "Did you see or hear anything out of the ordinary this morning?" Esposito rose from his chair and made his way to the kitchen, pouring the woman a glass of water and placing it in her hand as she spoke to Ryan.

"Actually, now that you mention it, there was something, a man. He hurried out of the building this morning, I was standing in the doorway waiting for my cab and he just pushed right past me. He didn't even apologise. In fact, he muttered something about people rudely blocking doors. The nerve of him, to shove past a little old lady like that. The worst part though, he stole my cab!" she was indignant, the memory well and truly ingrained in her sometimes flighty memory.

"Is this the man? Esposito pulled Dunnings' mug shot from his pocket. The old woman nodded with a sniffle.

"Is he the one who killed poor Carl?" she asked, her voice quivering.

"It would appear that way Ma'am," Esposito replied, his tone sympathetic. He slipped her his card. "Let us know if you remember anything else."

X-X-X-X-X-X

After leaving the elderly woman's apartment Ryan immediately called the cab company. He hung up the phone with a sigh and turned to Esposito.

"So the GPS systems in the cabs are malfunctioning at the moment. If we want to know where Dunnings asked to be dropped off we have to speak to the actual cabbie who picked him up. Luckily, dispatch gave me a number, we need to speak to one Emilio de Lugo and he just finished his shift so chances are we'll find him at home," he filled in his partner on the snippets of the conversation he had missed.

"Let's pay Mr de Lugo a visit then," Esposito grinned and herded Ryan out the door to the parked cruiser.

The pair found Emilio de Lugo at home just as the cab dispatcher had said he would be. He was tired and clearly a little grumpy but otherwise amicable enough.

"Yes, I remember picking up that man," he pointed to the mug shot in Esposito's hand. "He was fine, paid his fare, no trouble. I'm good at reading people though, and this one," he gestured at the photo once again, "he was creepy, 'ay. I was glad to get him out of my cab."

"Can you remember where you dropped him off? It's very important," Ryan intoned, an air of desperation to his tone.

"Yes, no problem. I dropped him at the hospital. That big one downtown." Ryan and Esposito shared a glance of unadulterated fear.

"Is that where Beckett and Castle are?" Ryan hissed, already fully aware of the answer, his chest tightening in fear at the knowledge.


	34. Chapter 34

**AN****: You guys are going to hate me for this chapter. Just remember, I'm a sucker for happy endings – keep that in mind. Enough said. **

Chapter Thirty-Four

"_Is that where Beckett and Castle are?" Ryan hissed, already fully aware of the answer, his chest tightening in fear at the knowledge._

Alexis was sick of waiting. They'd been in the hospital waiting room for far more minutes than she cared to count. She needed an update whether or not anyone was willing to give it to her. She needed to see that her father was okay. Alive, breathing, steady pulse. She needed the reassurance of his chest rising steadily up and down and to feel the warmth of his skin. Too much had happened in the past couple of days for her to sit idly by any longer.

"I'm going to find the restroom," she lied deftly to her grandmother. Martha nodded in acknowledgement, drawing her hand away from her granddaughter and watching her retreat from the room.

"You know at the moment, I'm as worried about Alexis as I am about Richard," she turned to Jim with a sad smile.

"It's an awful lot for her to deal with," Jim agreed.

"They'll all be okay, won't they, Jim?" The man nodded solemnly before taking Martha's hand.

"They have to be."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Dunnings was bored with casual conversation. He wanted to see Beckett squirm. He wanted Castle on the cusp of death. He wanted Beckett to experience the feeling of losing everything. He had an idea of how to achieve his purpose. He was really looking forward to exacting said plan, he wasn't sure specifically how the logistics of it all might work, technically Castle could die, or he could not. That was part of the fun. Gambling on another man's life, it made him feel powerful once again. He held Beckett's entire life in his hands simply by controlling the fate of Castle's. It felt more like justice than revenge. Revenge was messy, justice was power and power was what Dunnings sought.

Castle could see that Dunnings was tired of talking, now that they knew why he was intent on revenge he wasn't inclined to chat any longer. Dunnings glanced at Castle, he took in the drying blood on the sheets and let out a little half-frown.

"I wasn't planning on making a mess of this," he muttered more to himself than anyone else. "Don't really want to waste time with cleaning up. Perhaps it's time to take some cleaner measures," there was a devious glint in his gaze. The edges of his lips turned upwards. "They always seem to have so much fun with these on medical shows," he raised his voice, directing the next comment to both Castle and Beckett. "I've had a lot of time in prison to watch television. You can learn a lot from the medical shows you know. There's always that one doctor who stuffs up and kills a patient or two. I think I identify most with that character." He moved to a surgical tray that was positioned in the corner of the room and pulled a defibrillator from it. "Normally they wait until the patient is unconscious to try this, but what the hell." He moved slowly and deliberately towards Castle. Suddenly the situation seemed a lot more sombre than it had a moment before. Castle stared desperately at Beckett, aching to reach out and touch her. There was still so much left unsaid. There was still so much left for them to live, _together_.

"Kate," he gasped brokenly, trying to find the words, the words that would sustain her after he was gone. He couldn't stand the thought of leaving her – everyone left her, she had told him that before and it had broken his heart. He couldn't be another disappointment.

"Castle," she choked out, a gut wrenching sob, barely a word. He heard her nonetheless.

"I love you. Always have, always will," he managed, emotion straining his voice to the point of breaking.

"_Always_," she breathed.

"I, uh, I need to tell you something…in case. I need you not to hate me and if you do, don't tell me. Let me die believing that you love me," Castle didn't bother trying to mask the emotion in his voice, the tears welling in his eyes spilled over the rim, dribbling slowly down his face. The salty taste reminding him that it could be the last flavour he'd ever have on his palate. He wished it was her, Kate's lips, that would be a taste he could die happy with. Well, maybe not happy considering how premature his death would be if it occurred at this stage in his life. But as far as last tastes go, Kate Beckett would be the epitome of perfection.

"Nothing," she growled, "nothing Castle, will stop me from loving you." He wanted to hold her so badly. This was the torture. The scalpel, Dunnings moving towards him with defibrillator paddles clasped in his hands, that was nothing. Not being able to touch Beckett when he knew that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her, it was tearing his very soul apart.

"I'm still investigating your mother's case. I'm _so_ sorry. The murder-board in my study, it's all there," his words crashed out, rolling over each other, rushed and barely coherent. Still she heard.

"Castle," her tone was forceful, she wanted her point to be heard, to be made. "I love you." At that he was a mess, sobs that shook his body stuttered shakingly from his lips. "And Castle, you're not going to die!" Her tone was fierce, her eyes dark. Castle could see that she was straining against the bonds attaching her to the bed. He half expected her to turn into a superhero and rip the bed into pieces before throwing Dunnings through the ceiling.

Dunnings was enjoying this little interlude, clearly he was torturing Beckett ever so slightly. It was nothing compared to the humiliation he'd endured though. He figured it was time to cut in.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that, Detective. I think there's a fairly distinct possibility he could die," he grinned. Beckett snarled, it was low and guttural. Castle found it terrifying, yet somehow kind of hot. It was such an inopportune time to be thinking about Beckett like that, still, he couldn't resist. He was him after all, even on the edge of possible death it was nice to know he still stayed in character. He liked who he was and to die as himself, without compromising his personality, that was a good thing. He thought it said a lot about him as a man. Integrity. That about summed it up. He was a man who lived and died with integrity. A man who was currently getting slightly distracted from a pivotal moment in his life by mulling over the words that could be written cursively across his tombstone. How morbid and relevant. Perhaps he should discuss it with Beckett. He opened his mouth, but on catching her expression closed it quickly. He'd seen Beckett die in his arms, he'd seen her ache for her mother, he'd seen her angry, he'd seen her recovering from a break-up, he'd seen her hit hard by a tough case, he'd seen her heart break remembering her father's alcoholism. He'd never seen this. The look of utter despair, the brokenness of her expression. It looked like he was going to need that defibrillator after all, Beckett's expression was near to jolting his heart to a complete stop. He choked on the emotion swelling in his throat, fresh and fierce.

"Please," he pleaded with Dunnings, who had placed the paddles on the bed and was slowly cutting through his hospital gown, clearing the material away from his chest so it was just skin awaiting the cool metal of the paddles and potentially the end of Richard Castle. The man, the myth, the legend – the life, the love, the future.

"As cute as your manners are, I'm not convinced," he laughed spitefully, drawing the paddles above Castle's chest. Beckett pinched her eyes shut tight. She was not going to watch the man she loved die. She remembered when she was a child her father had teased her, covering his eyes with his hands and declaring, _I can't see you so you must not be there_, when she begged him for something trivial that he wasn't prepared to give her – like a unicorn. That was the mentality she was aiming for, if she couldn't see it, then it wasn't happening. Apparently Castle being tortured to death caused her to regress to childlike behaviours. Then she couldn't bare it any longer, she needed to see him. He had held her as she died. He hadn't given up on her. She should have the decency to offer him the same devotion. Her eyes found his and she was lost, swimming in swirling oceans of bright blue. A moment of calm before the storm. They stared at one another, _into_ one another, neither paying attention to Dunnings' movements. After a moment of simple contentment shrouded by unadulterated fear, love pouring from one pair of eyes to the other, Castle flinched and his eyes snapped shut, his body jolting.

"Whoops. Forget to say clear…" Dunnings chuckled, pulling the paddles back from Castle's chest. Beckett stopped breathing. If Castle's heart wasn't beating than neither was hers. There was a poetry to it that he would have appreciated, had his heart been beating.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The hospital was huge and Alexis was beginning to rethink the brilliance of her plan. She'd wandered round in the general direction that the doctor from earlier had headed in, sticking her head in every door and glancing around for her father or Beckett. So far she was fairly certain all she managed to achieve was getting just a little bit lost. She spotted a young nurse and a new plan wormed its way into her mind. She let her frustrations swell, dwelling on them for a moment until there were fresh tears pooling in her eyes. She made her way towards the young nurse, shuffling and sniffling, sure that her red-rimmed eyes were obvious. The nurse looked up at her nervously.

"Miss, are you alright?" she asked hesitantly.

"No," Alexis mumbled, letting a few of the tears trickle down her face. "I lost my daddy, I can't remember which room he's in."

"Oh, okay. I'll look it up for you," she smiled gently.

"Thanks," Alexis sniffled, offering a strained smile in response. "His name's Richard Castle."

"The novelist? Awesome," she tapped away on the computer a couple of times. "Okay, he's in room 4122," she squinted at the screen. "Hmm, I don't think you're meant to be in there yet. Just don't tell anyone I told you where to go," she winked.

"I won't get in the way," Alexis assured her.

"I'm sure you won't honey, just go see your Dad," the nurse patted her shoulder. "It's down that corridor there, then the first left. Don't go right, they're renovating that wing of the hospital and it's a complete mess." Alexis offered her another soft smile and hurried down the corridor. She found the room quickly and was puzzled to find it devoid of inhabitants, and beds for that matter. She made her way back to the nurses' station. As she reached the fork in the corridor something caught her eye, the plastic covering the walkway to the right, where the renovations were going on, was pushed to the side a little, like it had been moved recently. She inspected the corridor more closely, noting that the fine dust coating the floor on the other side of the plastic had a pair of long thin lines drawn in it, as if a hospital bed had been pushed through it recently. The pair of footprints she noticed etched into the dust a little further down the hall did nothing to disprove that theory. She pushed her way past the plastic, it couldn't hurt to check out what was going on. It had already been proven that she was her father's daughter in that regard, inquisitive and awfully detective-like.

She moved cautiously and quietly through the abandoned section of the hospital. The emptiness of the usually bustling facility giving it a strange eerie quality. She was considering turning around and making her way back to the waiting room to actually give waiting another shot when she heard a noise. It sounded like a woman weeping, bitterly.

**Additional AN****: Random fact, when I googled what happens if you defib a healthy person one of the responses was that, 'They will punch you in the face,' it was kind of my favourite option! Unfortunately it didn't quite fit with the story.**


	35. Chapter 35

**AN****: Well, that was fun. I do so love it when I have a nice cliff hanger for you all. Lucky I update so quickly ;) On that note, I'm about to update less quickly, something about an assignment that's due on Friday that I've been neglecting. **

Chapter Thirty-Five

_It sounded like a woman weeping, bitterly._

Beckett was hysterical. She was practically hyperventilating. It was exceedingly difficult to cry wrenching sobs without taking jagged breaths. She was fairly determined not to breathe, but her heart was breaking and she couldn't control the tears taking control of her body.

"Oh relax," Dunnings drawled, revelling in his moment. "From my extensive online research – Wikipedia is reputable, right? – I'm pretty sure that if I shock him again, he'll be just peachy. It's not much fun if he dies this early into it." As if to prove his point he drew the paddles onto Castle's chest once again, "clear!" he exclaimed, clearly amused. Castle's heart jolted back to life, albeit with a slightly irregular rhythm but a heartbeat all the same. Beckett continued to weep, relief shining through on her tear streaked face. "Fancy that," Dunnings declared. "Wonder what happens if I do it again?" he mused. Beckett didn't want to find out. Castle's heart may have restarted but his eyes were still scrunched tightly shut and she was sure he was unconscious. She was certain he wouldn't survive another shock, his heart was strong, but he was anything but indestructible.

The door swung open with a bang, Alexis' eyes wide with shock at the sight before her.

"No!" she screamed in earnest, shoving Dunnings and the raised paddles away from her father. He shifted back slightly on the balls of his feet, clearly not that affected by the spitfire of a child in front of him.

"This just got so much better," he chuckled menacingly, dropping the paddles to the floor and picking up the bloodied scalpel from earlier. He moved towards Alexis, she stood her ground for a moment, before Beckett pleaded with her –

"Alexis. Move. Run. You have to leave now."

"Oh no, no one is going anywhere," Dunnings growled. "See that chair in the corner," he gestured with the blade, coming much too close to Alexis' cheek for Beckett's liking. "Sit. Make yourself comfortable. You're in for some fun." Alexis shot Beckett a wary glance before retreating to the corner. Dunnings followed her. "Hold still sweet thing. I'm going to have to tie you to the chair, just in case you go getting some crazy ideas. But don't worry, I'm very glad you joined us," he leered. Beckett felt sick. She needed to protect Alexis. Dunnings was out to get people she cared about. She had to show him that she didn't care about Alexis. It was the only logical way to save her. She lied through her teeth as Dunnings deftly secured Alexis to the chair, binding her wrists and her ankles to the cool metal bars of the simplistic chair.

"You don't need her here," Beckett declared fiercely. "She's nothing to me. She's just an annoying kid who keeps getting in the way." Alexis' eyes stung with tears, whether they were angry or sad she couldn't tell, all she did know was that she was furious and heartbroken all in that instance. She may hate Beckett a little bit for the trouble she'd continually brought into her father's life, but she also wasn't above admitting that she loved and admired the woman. Now she didn't know what to feel anymore. It hurt, more than she cared to give credence to. She turned her gaze on her father, whose face was pinched tight in pain, unmoving and silent.

Dunnings rolled his eyes with dramatic flair.

"Very nice, Detective, but I'm not convinced. The kid appears to have bought your lies, me? Not so gullible. You can't protect her…Just like I couldn't protect my brother. What a coincidence," he snarled, his face contorting with the weight of his words. Alexis was almost ashamed by the tumbling of relief that coursed through her, Beckett was only trying to protect her, she didn't mean the hurtful declarations she had made. The guilt that overtook her was expected, how should she feel relieved when her father was unconscious before her? She needed a reality check. The force of all the emotions running through her was overwhelming. She was close to forgetting how to breathe.

"Alexis, I'm sorry," Beckett drew out brokenly, still a sobbing mess. The situation just kept getting worse. There was no way on earth she could deal with Dunnings torturing Alexis as well. Dunnings was apparently thinking the same thing. He had just the idea in mind to truly break Beckett once and for all. Tough as she was, she was not going to sustain her sanity after this.

"Let's play a little game," he drawled with a twisted grin. "Detective Beckett, I'm going to slit the throat of a member of the Castle family, the fun part? You get to choose. So who will it be, the father or the daughter?"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Ryan and Esposito were back in the cruiser without so much as a goodbye to the cab driver. Sirens blazing Esposito navigated his way through the New York traffic, ignoring all conventional road rules and practically mounting the gutter to get around the cars in front of him. Ryan was matching his intensity, desperately calling everyone he could think of. Dispatch put him onto the uniformed officer who was on protective duty of Beckett and Castle's hospital room. The uniform didn't pick up. That was sufficiently alarming. If they weren't such well-trained, cool-headed police officers it would have sent them spinning in panic. Well, more panic than they were currently experiencing. Ryan phoned the hospital.

"Listen, it's Kevin Ryan of the NYPD I need the immediate status of two of your patients, Detective Katherine Beckett and Richard Castle," he growled down the line.

"According to the system they're both stable and in their room," the nurse replied lazily, clearly not one to be hassled by police bluntness verging on rudeness.

"I'm going to need someone to check and confirm that," Ryan gritted out through clenched teeth. "Now," he demanded.

"Very well," the nurse replied briskly. Ryan heard her direct a nearby intern to the room with a gruff order to be prompt. After barely a minute had passed the intern was back. "Ah, there's no one there," the nurse relayed.

"So the patients are unaccounted for?" Ryan groaned angrily.

"It's nothing to worry about I'm sure. One of the interns probably just took them for a test or something. We're very busy at the moment, sometimes there's a little bit of miscommunication that goes on," she muttered dismissively.

"You mean you're busy and patients slip through the cracks!" Ryan retorted bitterly, before hanging up. His next call was to Gates.

"Sir. We have a problem. Dunnings was dropped at the hospital be a cab this morning. Castle and Beckett are missing from their hospital room," he admitted fearfully.

"I'm on my way," Gates declared and Ryan could hear her moving from her desk and hurrying down the stairs, shouting orders at uniforms to get to the hospital. "We can assume that it would have been difficult for Dunnings to move them from the hospital. I'd guess that they're still in the facility somewhere." Ryan found himself nodding along.

"Yes Sir, that makes sense. We're almost at the hospital. We'll see you shortly," he replied.

"Good," Gates asserted. "Be careful," she added, with a tone that almost bordered on concerned.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Dunnings was enjoying this development to his revenge plot immensely. Beckett's face was contorted in pain.

"No," she whimpered.

"Oh c'mon," Dunnings grinned. "At least mull over the options. I kill the girl and you and your true love here can start over, try for a family of your own. Of course there'll always be that little part of him who will loathe you letting his baby die. But I'm sure it'll fester away into nothing much, raging alcoholism or the like," he paused, revelling in the heartbroken expressions of the women in the room. "Or, there's the alternative. You choose death for Castle and then you and the kid get to be your own little unconventional family, drawn together by grief, that could be fun as well. Decisions, decisions."

"No," Beckett repeated, her voice stronger, insistent. "Never."

"You're going to have to decide," Dunnings crooned joyfully. "Otherwise I'll probably just end up killing them both and we can't have that. You really don't want both of their deaths on your conscious."

"Beckett, save my Dad," Alexis wept, her eyes raw and her tone hopeless. "You can be happy together," she insisted, her voice thick with emotion.

"No," Beckett growled. "You really think your Dad would ever be happy again if anything happened to you? Neither of us would survive it if anything happened to you!" Alexis' sobbing intensified. Beckett turned her glare on Dunnings, intense and strong. "Can't you just kill me? Let Alexis and Castle go and you can kill me in any slow, torturous way that you desire." Dunnings just shook his head, tight lipped.

"No, no, Detective," he admonished with a casual wave of his finger. "I gave you your options. You're running out of time," he glanced at his watch. "In one minute, I'll decide for you and let me assure you, it won't be pretty. Tick-tock, times a running out."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Esposito slammed the cruiser to a stop in the ambulance bay of the hospital and the partners plunged from the car and into the hospital. Martha and Jim watched with matching shocked expressions as the pair stormed through the waiting room without so much a glance in their direction.

"That can't be good," Jim muttered, raising to his feet and pulling Martha up with him.

"Alexis still hasn't come back from the restroom," Martha mentioned worriedly. "What on earth is going on?"

"Hmm, you better stay here, she's been gone a while, she'll probably be back soon. I'll see what Ryan and Esposito are up to. I'll let you know," Jim said as he released Martha's hand and made his way towards the corridor that the detectives had sprinted down.

"Okay," Martha agreed weakly, sinking back into her chair.

The boys wasted no time scanning the hospital room that Castle and Beckett were supposed to be occupying. It took them less time than Alexis to notice the renovated wing of the hospital near the room and surmise that it would be an ideal location for a sociopath to conduct his latest vicious experiment. They heard crying and high-strung voices and knew that they had made the right call. Esposito pulled the door open to find Dunnings leaning over Castle's unconscious body, a scalpel in his hand, positioned just above Castle's throat. He had seen enough.

"Alexis! Close your eyes," he bellowed as he drew his gun and shot Dunnings through the chest. It was a good shot, the close range allowed for death to be instantaneous. Dunnings slipped to the floor, blood pooling around him. He turned his gaze on Alexis, the girl had heeded his advice, her eyes were screwed tightly shut, tears running down her face, breathing straggled as she sobbed. Beckett was in no better shape, her eyes were wide and filled with tears. Neither Esposito nor Ryan had ever seen her look so terrified.

"It's over," Ryan said gently, moving to untie Alexis from the chair. "You're okay. You're all okay." Esposito moved to untie Beckett.

"Castle," she hissed. "Castle. Is he okay? He…" she couldn't finish, the tears were too much, words escaped her, she continued to weep bitterly, her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe through the sobs. Esposito heeded her, turning his attention to Castle instead.

"He's breathing, he has a steady pulse. He's just passed out," he told Beckett in a hushed tone. "Let's get you all out of here. I think you need a hospital," he attempted a joke, trying to break the tension somewhat. Ryan managed a tight smile, but that was it. The women in the room were too exhausted from the emotional turmoil to smile. Beckett didn't know if she was going to be able to smile for a while yet. Definitely not until Castle could. They really were two halves of the same whole.

**Additional AN****: To White Pawn, I appreciate your constructive criticism as much as I appreciate your flattery ;) I wrote this chapter before I read your review though… Hope you like it all the same. **


	36. Chapter 36

**AN****: I find it utterly perplexing that it takes me a couple of hours max to write a few thousand words of FanFiction but like sixteen hours to write an essay (I think it may have had something to do with the solid twelve hours of procrastinating). Nonetheless, to reward you for your patience, here's my longest instalment so far. Keep that in mind when I mention that I'll be off the internet all weekend at a music festival… What would you like to see wrapped up before I bring this story to a close?**

Chapter Thirty-Six

_They really were two halves of the same whole._

Beckett pushed herself off the hospital bed and tried to stand. She was unsuccessful, her legs were shaky and the room was spinning.

"Don't worry about it," Esposito said gently. "I got you," he nudged her back onto the bed. She curled up reluctantly.

"Thanks," she murmured with a breathy sigh. "Alexis…" she patted the space next to her and the girl made her way over, with unsteady quaking steps. She pulled her into a tight hug as she joined her on the bed.

"All good?" Esposito queried, at their nodded responses he pushed the bed slowly from the room. Ryan followed with Castle's bed. Dunnings corpse forgotten, at least temporarily. Ryan kicked the scalpel from his reach just for the sake of it as he moved from the room. Dead or not, he wasn't taking any chances, if ever there was a time for taking overly cautious precautions, this was it.

Beckett felt like she wasn't really in moment, like it was the end of a movie and she was watching the slow montage of everything coming together. As they were wheeled back into the functional part of the hospital Gates was berating a nurse, demanding answers. Her Dad was standing nearby, his expression pure concern, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. Martha was moving briskly down the hallway behind him, her face pure anxiety. Her eyes flitting between relief and fear at the sight of them. It was over. It really was over. They were a mess. Alexis was sobbing in her arms, her eyes redder than Beckett had ever seen them before. Beckett was in pieces, her wrists were raw and bruised from her fierce attempts at yanking them free, her expression was wild and she felt practically catatonic. She really couldn't focus on the scene playing out in front of her. Gates was speaking, to her, to the room in general, to the boys. She missed all of it. Her father moved to her side, kissed her forehead. She barely felt it. She was dazed. All she could see, all she could hear was Castle. His chest steadily rising and falling, the sound of soft puffs of air being inhaled and exhaled, his beating heart. Her beating heart. One and the same.

Medical professionals rushed around them, ushering their beds and trauma-ridden bodies back into a hospital room. Martha gently extricated Alexis from Beckett's arms so that a doctor could look them both over. Alexis clutched her grandmother's hand fiercely as she shook and nodded her head in response to an inundation of questions. The doctors murmured something about shock with a terse look in both Alexis and Beckett's directions. She swallowed the tablet that was offered to her and slipped into an easy sleep, exhaustion taking her in. She wanted to keep her eyes open for Castle, in case he woke up or if the doctors said anything pertinent to his medical condition but whatever drugs she had taken kicked in more potently than she expected so sleep became her only viable option.

X-X-X-X-X-X

She woke in somewhat of a panic hours later only just remembering that she hadn't told anyone about what had happened to Castle in the hour of insanity under Dunnings' rule.

"Castle… Defibrillator…Dunnings," were the first words out of her mouth as she pried her eyes open.

"Shh," her father murmured gently, pressing a hand to her wrist, steadying her. "Alexis told us what she saw and with Castle's condition the doctors were able to piece it all together. He's healthy, he has a strong heart, it managed to return to a normal rhythm all on its own," he smiled softly.

"Oh," Beckett expelled, innately relieved. She shifted her gaze from her father and took in the extent of her surroundings. It was intensely refreshing to wake in a hospital room surrounded by loved ones and free from the presence of a menacing psychopath. Esposito's profile framed the door, Ryan was a few feet from him, arms crossed and gaze focussed entirely on the hallway and the mixture of people milling about within it. Her father followed her eyes and chuckled affectionately.

"They're refusing to go home until the both of you checkout. Something about lowly uniforms not doing a good enough job of protective detail… I'm glad," he added sincerely. "It's been a hell of a day, Katie," he sighed. She nodded noncommittally.

"Mmm. But we're all okay now, right Dad? My boys are looking out for me. I'm safe. We're safe," she attempted to reassure him, the stubbornness that had eluded her somewhat under the intense pressure of Dunnings' revenge returning. She may have broken down but she was going to come back from this stronger than ever. If she was honest with herself, her reaction to the events that had transpired reminded her of the breakdown she had after the sniper case. Her boys had rescued her then too. Esposito with his empathy and Castle with his constant support. With her team around her she could survive anything. It didn't stop her from feeling a little vulnerable at times though, like when a sociopath was torturing the man she loved. That was just a little bit traumatic. She realised her father was still watching her intently, searching the depths of her eyes to ascertain if she really was okay. She tried to look resolute and strong. He bought it – or at least, he elected to take her stoic stance as the truth.

"I'm so glad you're safe. I don't know what I'd do without you. You're my little girl," he chewed on his lip as he spoke and Beckett saw herself reflected in his eyes. Her mother's death and alcoholism may have torn them apart but they were all glued back together now. They were family, and now Castle, Alexis, Martha, the boys, Lanie, they were all family too. Albeit an eclectic and eccentric mix but family all the same. She tore her eyes away from her father and turned her gaze on the opposite side of the room where Lanie was sitting beside Castle's bed, holding his hand and whispering indistinguishable things to him, her mouth moving a million miles an hour, Beckett missing the bulk of what she was saying. Lanie felt Beckett's eyes on her and looked up.

"They put Alexis in another room, just to check her out. Martha's in with her. Figured I'd look after your man while you were busy," she shrugged. "Just filling him in on what I'm going to do to him if he hurts you," she winked.

"Liar," Castle's voice cut through the air, sending Beckett's heart rate racing. Lanie gasped –

"You heard all that," she emitted a little giggle, somewhat embarrassed.

"Heard what?" Beckett intoned, a slightly frustrated edge to her tone, she liked being in the loop. Nothing was worse than missing the joke, the outskirts were no fun. "Lanie!" she whined.

"I, err, um, I can't say," Lanie blushed.

"I can," Castle admitted gleefully. "She was recommending sex positions!" Jim cleared his throat loudly. "Oh… Oh… Lanie," he growled playfully. "Um, Lanie is obviously a bad influence." As Jim rolled his eyes in response, Castle made eye contact with Beckett and mouthed, "Good influence, _very_ good influence." Beckett gave her best typical eye-roll at that and Castle's expression softened into a crinkled endearing smile. "You okay, Kate? Seriously?" he added, all joking forgotten.

"I'm fine, Castle," she replied softly. "I'm much more worried about you. How do you feel?" He shrugged.

"Ah," Lanie cut in. "Jim, want to come get a coffee?"

"Sure," he smiled. "As long as you promise never to bring up that conversation you just had with Castle," he shuddered comically. When he joked, Castle could see the parts of Beckett that were from him. He immensely liked the more relaxed version of Jim Beckett, not the one pleading with him to stop his daughter from doing something stupid or sitting beside him as they waited to see if the woman they considered family survived. This Jim was a man he could certainly grow to love and respect. The kind of man who would be an amazing grandfather. Or a fatherly confidant. After all they'd endured over the past couple of days Castle could see that image more clearly now, of Jim the father and grandfather, playing a major role in his life, in_ their_ lives. It was an image he was very much looking forward to, the reality of it all spilling closer into view with each passing moment.

Lanie huffed in response.

"Believe me, I was never planning on having that conversation with you in the first place. Someone here isn't using their internal filter very discerningly," Lanie laughed, with a dramatic glare at Castle. He attempted to look hurt, but all he managed was a slightly skewed smile. He was alive. Dunnings was nowhere to be seen. He was surrounded by people he loved – people who loved him. He had all the reason in the world to smile.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Moments after Lanie and Jim left the room, Esposito stuck his head around the door and flashed a smile at them before pulling the door shut and taking up his protective stance framing the door once again. They revelled in their moment of quiet aloneness, gazing intently at one another, drinking the relief radiating from the both of them.

"Are you really okay?" Beckett entreated softly. Hurt sparked in Castle's eyes but he pushed it back instantly, clearing his throat.

"Not the best day I've ever had," he admitted reluctantly. Beckett swung her feet to the floor and gingerly made her way over to him.

"Shove over," she demanded. He happily obliged, grunting a little at the movement, worry flaring on her face.

"I'm fine," he assured her, pulling her down beside him and holding her close.

"You know you're not going to get away with being this clingy under usual circumstances," she teased, curving her body further into his as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, who's being the clingy one?" he arched an eyebrow at her.

"Really, Castle? Complaining?" she laughed. It was a tantalising sound. He wanted to hear it again.

"Hell no," he growled, tugging her even closer, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "Cling to me all you want," he whispered seriously in her ear, his breath leaving raised flecks of skin in its wake. She shivered at the sensation.

"I will." She smiled as his lips brushed her neck, again and again. She couldn't stand the torment any longer; this was torture in a wholly more welcome capacity. She twisted her body to face him and pressed her lips hungrily to his. He opened his mouth eagerly to her tongue, permitting her entrance. The kiss was hot and fierce, an apology for putting him in danger and a promise to protect him better the next time. He gripped her tighter still, wishing they were anywhere but the hospital – his bedroom, her bedroom, the precinct storage room – anywhere but here. He wanted more of her, he wanted _all_ of her. A throat clearing at the door reminded him all the more that now was not the opportune time or place for that. They pulled apart, flushed and panting. Beckett's eyes were frenzied and her hair was mussed, it took every ounce of Castle's concentration to pull his gaze away from her and to the door. She slowly broke the eye contact, turning her head, her body remaining locked fiercely in his grasp. He felt her body tense at their guest, that was enough to break his stare, he shot a glance at the door, his reaction mimicking hers. A tiny gust of air popping from his lips as they fell into a surprised –

"Oh." Gates rolled her eyes at their reactions, her arms crossed firmly across her body.

"You're both making it exceedingly difficult for me to pretend to be ignorant," she sighed in exasperation. Castle felt more than saw Beckett blush and bite her bottom lip in response.

"Sir," she attempted weakly. Gates shook her head, cutting her off –

"Later. Today is not the day for that discussion," she waved her hand dismissively. "I'm here to reclaim a couple of my detectives. They're refusing to return to the precinct and we have a case…" At her words Esposito was in the room, clearly eavesdropping from his post at the door, Ryan at his heels.

"We're not leaving," he stated adamantly. "I don't care that Dunnings is dead." Castle gasped at that, having been unconscious as those events transpired. Beckett nodded at him, reassuring him that Esposito was speaking truthfully. He emitted a sigh of relief, the last remnants of tension draining from his body. Ryan nodded his agreement with Esposito's declaration.

"Useless uniforms," he muttered, aiming for under his breath but in reality loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"If you recall you were a uniform and probably a little useless once," Gates remarked steadily, but Beckett could perceive the hint of humour underlying her serious tone. "Anyway, as admirable as your stand is, with Beckett – and Castle," she added a little reluctantly, "already out of the field I need you two back at the precinct. I," she stated with a tone of finality, "will be the protective detail until you return." She pulled a chair from beside Beckett's empty bed and placed it in the hallway beside the door. "Surely you can entrust your friends safety to me?" she asked with arched eyebrows. The boys nodded, matching gaping expressions shaping their countenances. Beckett stifled a giggle. With a last look in Castle and Beckett's direction, they trudged begrudgingly from the room – not without a quick innuendo laced wink as Esposito appraised the somewhat compromising position the pair were in, limbs locked together with their boss looking on. Castle grinned in response. Gates smiled tightly at them before taking up her seat outside the door and pushing it succinctly closed with a muffled bang.

X-X-X-X-X-X

He nuzzled her ear, teeth nipping at her neck.

"Guess having Gates eavesdropping at the door kind of puts of damper on things," he whispered, working his lips teasingly across her jaw as he spoke.

"Castle," she warned before sighing and pulling her lips back to his in a tender kiss. "Behave," she muttered against his skin, peppering his neck in soft kisses.

"Okay," he said, before kissing her softly one more time and pulling back ever so slightly. She glanced up at him, a little bit shocked that he'd loosened his grip on her at all. He nodded in the direction of the door and Beckett could make out two bobbing heads of vibrant red hair paused at door, obviously engaged in a casual conversation with Gates. She rolled away from him, separating their bodies just enough to converse with his mother and daughter without embarrassment. No sooner had they untangled when the door opened and Alexis soared into the room. Her eyes much brighter than the last time Beckett had seen her. Castle opened his arms and admitted his daughter; she clung to him with a determination that was to be expected.

"You okay, Pumpkin?" he asked gently, brushing his hands through her hair and over her back soothingly.

"Medically? Completely. Emotionally? I'm feeling a little unstable," she admitted.

"Me too," Castle sighed. "But you know what? It's over now and we're _all_ going to be just fine." He glanced over Alexis' shoulder as he spoke, locking eyes intently with Beckett.

"All of us," she agreed on a whisper, but there was a firmness to her tone. It seemed that Beckett's words reminded Alexis' of her presence. She unwrapped one of her hands from her father and clasped Beckett's hand in her own. She didn't speak and neither did Beckett. There were no words to say. In that moment, nonetheless. Naturally, there would be unresolved issues between the two of them stemming from Alexis' concern about her father's ongoing involvement in the work side of Beckett's life. The knowledge that Beckett feared for her father's safety as much as she did was enough to quell the argument, at least temporarily. For the time being it belonged on the back burner. For the now, the only thing that mattered was being together, safe and happy. Alexis could clearly see her father needed Beckett to achieve that purpose. It heartened her to realise that Beckett also needed her father to fulfil the very same purpose.

Martha stood in the doorway, watching the scene play out before her with a soft smile. She felt a presence behind her and turned her head to see Lanie and Jim with gentle smiles that matched her own as their gaze drifted to the tangle of limbs and love that was sprawled on the bed before them.


	37. Chapter 37

**AN****: Okay guys, we're really getting close to wrapping this up. I think the next chapter could be the last one. We'll see when I get round to writing it though… Let me know what you think about this one. **

Chapter Thirty-Seven

_She felt a presence behind her and turned her head to see Lanie and Jim with gentle smiles that matched her own as their gaze drifted to the tangle of limbs and love that was sprawled on the bed before them._

"Thank you," Jim whispered gently, a hand on Martha's shoulder. She inclined her head toward him.

"Whatever for?" she responded with a slightly perplexed smile.

"Your son," he admitted, his eyes shining with relief. "After Katie's mother died I didn't think she'd ever find her way to being truly happy again. I couldn't see a family of her own in her future, she was just too angry, too devastated. But, now," he nodded at the bed, "now I see her future."

"Oh, Jim," she sighed, resting her hand on his with a soft squeeze. From across the room, Beckett cleared her throat.

"We can hear you know," she said, turning her eyes away from Castle and unto her father.

"You can't blame my mother for me," Castle added with a grin.

"Really, Richard?" Martha chuckled. "There's a time and a place for your humour, darling. This is neither the time nor the place. The adults in the room are trying to have a serious conversation," she winked, with a smirk at her son. Castle opened his mouth to form a clever retort but Beckett cut him off –

"Dad," she paused, trying to voice her thoughts in the most coherent manner. "You're still my family, you know that, right? I'm never going to replace you, you'll still always be my family."

"Katie," he moved from the doorway and into the room, coming to a rest beside the bed holding Beckett, Castle and Alexis. He placed a gentle kiss on Beckett's forehead before continuing. "Of course I'll always be your family, I'm just so glad to be able to extend our family. To have more people who love us – that's what life is all about." It was then that the occupants of the bed noticed the tears streaming quietly down Alexis' face.

"Alexis?" Castle asked gruffly, his tone unadulterated concern. She sniffled.

"It's just that, that's exactly what I needed to hear. We could have had that exact conversation, Dad. I worry about losing _us_ – our little family – with you falling in love with Kate," she admitted. "Thank you, Mr Beckett," she added, turning her gaze to Jim briefly.

"Please, call me Grandpa," he replied, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Alexis' froze for a moment before Martha's voice filled the room –

"Seriously. What did I just say to Richard about a time and a place for humour?" she announced with a dramatic eye-roll. Alexis' shocked expression righted itself into a beaming grin. Jim chuckled.

"Dad!" Beckett admonished him with a loving smile. He shrugged.

"Well, I thought it was funny. But please, call me Jim, Alexis. Mr Beckett makes me feel like a school teacher."

"Your father," Castle started, before mentally correcting himself, "our family is funny."

"Yeah," Beckett said, reaching up to caress his cheek, running her fingers along the stubble growing raggedly on his chin. "Our family are the best."

"That's not what I said," he grinned.

"No," she admitted. "But it's what you meant." Suddenly it no longer mattered that they were surrounded by their parents, that one of his arms was wrapped around his daughter, the gap between his lips and Beckett's was far too much to bare. He lunged towards her, fusing his lips to hers, fiercely. His love wasn't gentle, it was powerful, it was hungry with a tinge of desperation. She ended the kiss earlier then she would have liked to, remembering their audience.

"Castle," she warned, her tone too much like a sigh to really discourage him.

"Mmm," he rumbled against her lips. She kissed him gently once again, trying to quell the fire, at least momentarily. It didn't work. But he pulled away reluctantly and gazed at her.

"God, I love you," he grinned.

"And, I love you," she smiled, clutching onto his neck and rubbing it gently, trying to undo the tension building up there from the events of the previous couple of days.

"I'm so glad I don't have to hide it anymore," he admitted joyfully.

"Who are you kidding, writer boy?" Lanie interjected. Beckett had forgotten that she was there, leaning casually against the door with a beaming grin. "You weren't hiding a thing!" Castle groaned and Beckett threw a hand over her mouth, trying to contain the giggles that were threatening to overflow. It didn't work and soon her laughter was echoing around the room. It didn't take long before the other occupants of the room had joined her, except Castle who was wearing an expression of mock hurt.

"Oh baby, did Lanie hurt your feelings?" Beckett teased with bright eyes, still rich with humour.

"She hurt mine," Martha cut in. "You'd think the great Martha Roger's son would have better acting skills."

"Really, Mother?" Castle chided "You're making this about you?" He turned to Beckett, "did you just call me _baby_?" he asked with arched eyebrows.

"Not the point," she refuted.

"Totally the point!" he exclaimed.

"Er, I think the major point is that I'm still here," Alexis spoke up. "Somehow I feel like this conversation is heading towards PG-13 territory." Beckett laughed, at the words, and Castle's indignant expression.

"Behave Castle," she scolded lightly.

"Why? If I misbehave I'd be happy to let you spank me, Detective," he winked.

"Again, Castle, really?" Beckett gasped, as Alexis remarked –

"Eww, that's exactly what I was talking about!" Castle smiled at his daughter, his eyes shining with humour before responding to Beckett.

"You remember?" he grinned.

"Of course I remember – I remember that line didn't work for you the first time," she was aiming for exasperated, it came out more like laughter. Castle was interrupted from continuing the conversation further when a doctor entered the room.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The doctor took in the room before him and cleared his throat. But before he could start, Castle was pleading with him.

"Can we check out? Please. After all that's happened, I think we'd all feel a lot safer at home." The doctor's brow furrowed as he shook his head.

"Mr Castle, you've suffered considerable trauma over the past couple of days, we need to keep you here for observation overnight. I would advise the same for Detective Beckett. Miss Castle, on the other hand, is free to leave," he said quite forcefully, seeing that Castle and Beckett weren't too happy with the prognosis.

"I feel fine," Castle whined.

"You are doing well Mr Castle and we'd like to keep it that way, hence the need for observation," the doctor reasoned. Castle wasn't convinced but he dropped it, offering the doctor a tight smile and brisk nod. Beckett fought back the pout that was making its way to her face. She was sick of this damn hospital.

"How about we wait to it gets dark and bust out," she whispered to Castle. The way his eyes lit up caused a giggle to slip from her lips. "I was kidding you silly man. I'm as sick of this place as you are, but you being okay is way more important."

"I am okay," he groaned.

"Mmm," she hummed. "Technically you're not okay until the doctor says you are." Said doctor nodded in agreement.

"We'll keep an eye on your vitals and check back on the both of you in a little while, so stay put," he added, turning from the room. At the doorway, he glanced at his watch and frowned. "Also, I'm sorry to inform you that visiting hours are coming to an end in a couple of minutes."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Shortly after the doctor's visit Lanie departed, with bright smiles and big hugs shaping her departure. It wasn't long after that Jim, Martha and Alexis begrudgingly left the room. Castle and Beckett had assured them, that, being immediate family no one would have any scruples with them staying but they had headed home regardless, citing time for resting and healing, although all were aware of the unspoken desire to give the couple space to recuperate alone – but together. Alexis had been right in saying that medically they were fine, emotionally they were all still somewhat of a mess. The perks of trauma. Left alone with the thoughts of what they had endured all too clear in their minds proved exhausting and Beckett found herself drifting back to sleep, safe, warm and emotionally wrought in Castle's embrace. It wasn't long before he joined her in slumber, his eyes raking over her still form again and again until they drooped and he couldn't bring himself to pry them back open.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The first thing Castle heard when his mind found itself in the present as opposed to buried deep in his dreams was Esposito's voice.

"Thank you," he said gruffly.

"It's really no problem," Gates replied. "They are my people too. I'll see you back at the precinct later." Castle slowly drew his eyes open to find Esposito leaning against the doorway watching them.

"I didn't know Beckett knew how to sleep in," he winked, catching Castle's gaze.

"I'm awake," she yawned, eyes still scrunched tightly shut. "Shuddup, Espo," she added as an afterthought.

"What's the time?" Castle wondered, his eyes falling on Esposito's watch.

"It's about six-thirty in the morning. Doc says your vitals are good and you guys can check out," he grinned. He held up a bag, "Beckett, I grabbed a change of clothes from your locker at the precinct."

"Are you telling me I'm going to have to bribe a doctor for his clothes again?" Castle sighed.

"Oh no," Esposito shook his head slowly, breaking into a bright grin, a glint of something Castle couldn't quite distinguish in his eyes. "Stopped by forensics, they let me have your t-shirt!...You know, the bloodstains really add to it, the deep red just screams love and soul mates." Castle groaned.

"That's so not funny. At all." Beckett quaked and quivered in his arms. "What? Are you okay?" his tone was instantly worried as she shook, her entire body writhing.

"Hilarious," she choked out as her laughter spilled over, loud and unrestrained. Esposito's grin broadened.

"At least Beckett's still got a sense of humour," he shrugged. Castle continued to glare at him.

"Beckett, if you don't stop laughing I will throw you out of my bed," Castle warned. "It's really not that funny."

"It is, it is," she chuckled, pulling herself from his arms. "Fine, I'm getting up."

"I was kidding," Castle whined, grabbing her arm and drawing her back towards him.

"Nope, too late. Besides, don't you want to get out of this godforsaken hospital already?" With that Castle was stumbling from the bed, his speed negating the little coordination that he possessed. He froze, eyes on the gown he was dressed in.

"Do you really not have any clothes for me?" he pleaded. Esposito laughed.

"Nope, but Ryan does," he stuck his head out the door, catching sight of his partner moving down the hallway towards them. "Dude, what took you so long?" he asked as Ryan reached them.

"Took me forever to rummage through Castle's closet. He's practically a woman," Ryan shrugged. Taking in Castle's indignant expression he added with a grin, "that, and Martha made me breakfast."

"Give me my clothes," Castle muttered. "I know you're just jealous of my impeccable taste. Probably took you so long because you were writing down the styles of my clothes. It's okay to admit that you're envious. If you ask nicely maybe I'll take you shopping someday," he hedged with a wink.

"Just get dressed already," Ryan sighed, not really frustrated but playing it up. Ryan and Esposito deposited the bags of clothing in Beckett and Castle's outstretched arms before yanking the door closed. Castle watched mesmerised as Beckett turned away from him and slid her gown off, revealing her bare back. He wanted to run his hands over her naked skin. But he stood there, frozen to the spot with overwhelming lust as she pulled a bra on, clasping it deftly behind her back, practiced fingers securing it without a moment's hesitation. She shrugged a shirt on before tugging on pants, turning to find Castle still in his gown, mouth slightly agape, eyes clouded over. She moved to him, kissing him soundly before undoing his gown and pushing it to the floor. She pulled his shirt on before kissing him again. The movement of her hands on his back and her tongue hot and heavy in his mouth almost undid him. He wrenched her closer, running his hands under the rim of her shirt, splaying them across the skin of her back, her shirt riding up in response to his movements. She moved her tongue to his jaw, wetting a path to his ear.

"Putting clothes on, not taking them off, Castle," she moaned. He unclasped her bra in response. She giggled and swatted his hands away, doing her bra back up. "C'mon, get dressed. Then we can go home," she breathed in his ear. He pulled her lips back to his once more and kissed her deeply.

"Fine," he murmured against her cheek as they broke apart. Without releasing her, he grasped blindly for his pants and clumsily jerked them on. He secured them with a small groan.

"What?" she mumbled, lips on his jaw once again.

"They're tighter than normal," he winked.

"Typical," she moaned with a teasing smile.

"It is typical with you around," he added.

"Not what I meant and you know it," she laughed breathily, reaching for his hand and tugging him from the room.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Ryan pulled the cruiser away from the curb and into the traffic, heading in the direction of Castle's loft.

"I can't wait to go home," Beckett sighed, enjoying the fresh air, the breeze on her face as she leaned into the open window.

"Do you want me to go there first, or Castle's?" Ryan asked. Beckett didn't answer immediately and the eyes of all the men in the car turned to her. She was biting down on her lip, blush pooling on her cheeks.

"Bro, I think she was talking about Castle's," Esposito stage whispered to Ryan, shooting a grin at Beckett. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Whatever," she sighed. "Just take us to Castle's." She chanced a glance at him, the look of pure adoration in his eyes almost knocked the breath from her.

"Home," he nodded, beaming. "Let's go home." Ryan and Esposito exchanged a smirk before continuing in silence.

"Oh," Beckett startled as they rounded the corner to the loft. "We need to deal with Dunnings' brother. I completely forgot about him."

"We got it covered," Esposito declared as Ryan parked the car. Beckett nodded at the boys before moving from the car, tugging Castle after her, linking their fingers.


	38. Chapter 38

**AN****: Just a warning, there will be an epic author's note at the end of this. Also, I sincerely hope you enjoy the last chapter of **_**Lost in You**_**! **

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"_We got it covered," Esposito declared as Ryan parked the car. Beckett nodded at the boys before moving from the car, tugging Castle after her, linking their fingers. _

Ryan and Esposito watched Beckett and Castle make their way into the building, their faces shining with joy even through the layers of exhaustion.

"Beckett looks happy," Esposito commented.

"It's about time," Ryan sighed contentedly.

"Dude," Esposito snorted.

"What?" Ryan whined.

"You are such a girl," he retorted.

"And you never let me forget it… Let's just take a moment to remember who has the hot wife waiting at home for him. Oh, that's right, me," Ryan grinned. Esposito frowned in response. Ryan chuckled at that and nosed the car away from the curb, edging into the flow of morning traffic. "Let's pay Dunnings number two a visit before we head to the precinct."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Beckett clung tightly to Castle's hand as they waited for the elevator to ascend. She could see where the morning was heading, she could see where the future was heading and to say she was approaching it fearless would be a massive oversight. Her walls may have been cracked to the point of destruction, but she was petrified that Castle wouldn't like what he found on the other side, that once he got to know _her_, the real her, the one behind the wall he wouldn't be satisfied. Women he'd fallen in love with in the past had been bright and flashy and they hadn't been enough to hold him, she paled in comparison. There was a rational part of her that knew she was just being overly self-conscious, that what Castle loved most about her was that she was real. But still, the insecure teenage-age girl that still inhabited a snippet of her soul was roaring her paranoid head.

"I'm so glad you came home with me," Castle murmured, stroking her chin tenderly with his free hand. Just like that her insecurities were pushed back under the surface, far away from her conscious thought. He loved _her_. He wanted her as badly as she wanted him. They could make it. They would make it. It really could be that simple. It _was_ that simple.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Dunnings, or Dunnings' brother for that matter – the two seemed largely interchangeable at times, given that one could so easily contrive to be the other – was sitting smugly in the visiting room that the prison had set aside for the detectives to meet the man in. His arms were crossed and he was leaning back in the chair, feet on the table, a devious smirk marking his expression.

"Let me guess," he drawled as the detectives entered the room. "My brother has your sexy lady cop and her dopey boyfriend and you want me to help you get them back?" At that Ryan and Esposito exchanged a glance. There was a fine line between wanting vengeance and just being plain cruel. Although they were leaning towards cruel in this particular scenario when it came down to it, they were good cops and good guys.

"Not quite. You'll be happy to know that our lady cop and her partner are just fine," Ryan replied. Dunnings rolled his eyes.

"Well, that's just plain boring. I'm sure Petey has something special in mind for them, don't you worry about that," he grinned crookedly, a twisted expression that had Ryan cringing internally remembering the last time he'd encountered the man. He was glad he'd managed to keep his saliva in his mouth so far this time.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Esposito retorted, his tone low, clearly serious.

"Oh yeah, why's that? Believe me, Peter will not stop until your lady cop has paid for what she did. Personally, I can't wait. It's going to be excellent. Then he'll come back and get me and this whole thing will be spectacularly over," Dunnings remarked, his voice confident and sure.

"Your brother will never come back for you," Esposito continued. Dunnings eyes flashed, dark and angry, apparently unhappy that the detectives doubted his brother's loyalty.

"He will," he hissed, fire in his eyes. "He's my brother. Family is more important than anything. _Anything_." Ryan actually found it strangely ironic that man had a point. It was true, family was the most important thing, that's why they'd fought so hard for Castle, for Beckett, for their unconventional but completely functional little family. It kind of made this next part all the more harder. Empathic as he felt, he couldn't find it in him to sympathise with the man who'd been pivotal in bringing about so much pain to his own family.

"He won't. We're here to inform you that yesterday during a police rescue Peter Dunnings received life-threatening injuries as a result of a gunshot. He died at the scene," Ryan admitted. Usually this was the point where he added that he was sorry for the loss of the person on the end of the receiving end of this speech's loved one, but in this circumstance, he wasn't really all that sorry. Rage clouded Dunnings expression, it really was the only word for it, his face contorted in pain, but rage was the dominating factor.

"Let me out," he growled. "I am not Peter Dunnings, I am Daniel Dunnings, you can no longer hold me here. Let me out!" he screeched, standing as he spoke, his hands making tight fists that he slammed on the table top to enunciate each point he made. "Now!" he added through clenched teeth, spit spraying on the table beneath him, as neither Ryan nor Esposito made to comply to his request.

"I suppose you're right," Esposito intoned, his tone harsh and unyielding. He made no move to stand behind the man as he spoke, but the implications of his words were clear. "Daniel Dunnings, you are under arrest for aiding and abetting in the escape of a prisoner. You are also under arrest for the accomplice of two counts of attempted murder." Dunnings started screaming threats and howling agonisingly for his dead brother as Ryan jumped in and recited his Miranda rights. They left the man in the custody of the prison guards and headed back to the precinct, a subtle weight lifted from their shoulders with the knowledge that justice had once again been served.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Beckett," Castle said as they reached the door to the loft. He pulled her to a stop and began rubbing gentle circles in the back of her hand with his thumb. "I have an idea. If you don't like it then that's fine, it'll be forgotten. Just hear me out." Beckett's mind rushed a million miles an hour, trying to comprehend where Castle was going with this. She rolled scenario after scenario over in her head, trying to decide which would be most likely. God, he wasn't going to propose was he? She so wasn't ready for that. They hadn't even had a proper date yet. Well, not one when they had been dating anyway. A few of those late night trips to Remy's had felt a hell of a lot like dates. Castle cleared his throat and Beckett realised he was waiting on some sort of response from her to continue. She nodded her head dumbly and waited, trying to slow her mind from jumping to crazy conclusions – what would she say if he proposed? Not the time, so not the time. But obviously, she'd say yes, right? There was no other logical answer. That's where it was headed in the long run. She forced her mind back to the present, caught Castle's eye and watched as he smiled at her, she pushed her lips upwards in response, she knew it didn't come across as genuine because Castle's expression dropped just a bit and he doubled his caressing of her hand. "It's about Tessa," he continued and just like that all the thoughts fell from her mind.

"Oh," popped from her lips. "Right, okay." She felt stupid for where her mind had been headed and dropped his gaze, blushing fiercely. He placed a finger under her chin and drew her face level with his.

"You are going to tell me what that was about," he said seriously. "First, umm, how would you feel if I had the charges against Tessa dropped?" Beckett's mouth fell open and she heard the gasp spill unconsciously from her lips. He took in her shocked expression and hurried to finish his point. "On the condition that she enters a mental institution, I'll pay for her treatment of course. It just doesn't seem fair that she spends so much of her life in jail because she was malleable enough to be manipulated by a psychopath like Dunnings."

"Castle," she sighed, pulling her hand from his and cupping his face tight with both her hands. She kissed him gently, confused as he was by her reaction – he had kind of expected yelling – he kissed her back passionately.

"Bad idea?" he mumbled against her mouth. "I'm sorry. Forget I said anything about it." She leant back from his mouth and stared him intently in the eyes.

"A noble idea," she said, biting down on her bottom lip. "You are a noble man, Richard Castle," she admitted. "I sometimes forget how much of a good, generous man that you are. Then you blow me away, with something like this, or something like the scholarship in my mother's name."

"Keep going," he grinned.

"And then you ruin it with something like that," she teased lightly. He shrugged.

"Thank you," he said, his tone becoming serious. "Yours is the opinion that matters most," he sighed. "So you're okay with it then? The Tessa thing?" he added.

"Yeah, Castle. I'm okay with it. As long as we ensure that it is a very secure facility. Probably be best not to mention that the funding is coming from you, she might get the wrong idea. Apart from that, I'm very much okay with it, she'll fall even further from reality thrust into the system. With proper help, she might actually make it," Beckett smiled softly.

With that Castle beamed and pushed the door to the loft open. He paused, hand on frozen on the handle.

"Wait. Why'd you blush before?" he remembered with a grin. She blushed again, kind of embarrassed about where her thoughts had so quickly gone when Castle had mentioned wanting to ask her something. "Exactly, just like that," he mused, stroking her reddened cheeks adoringly.

"If I say no reason will you drop it?" she attempted weakly.

"Mmm, most definitely not," he smiled softly, his fingertips still caressing her face. "I want to know what you're thinking about."

"I don't know if you really want that, but fine. My mind just jumped to wild conclusions when you said you wanted to ask me something," she went with the safer option, "I thought you were going to ask me to move in or something crazily rushed like that."

"Nothing about us has been crazily rushed, Beckett. It's taken us a long, long time to get to this point. Secondly, I'm ecstatic that your mind went there. Did you say yes? Because, you can if you want to," he responded gently, his tone laced with honesty.

"All in good time, Castle. How about we go on a date first?" she matched his tone with sincerity and truth, it made him so unbelievably happy. _She_ made him so unbelievably happy. He kissed her once again, soft, gentle, a promise of a future shared together – a future with moving in, marriage, and children. Everything they ever wanted.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Good morning, Mother," he called in the general direction of the kitchen where his mother and daughter were seated, discussing something animatedly, hands waving and eyes flush with excitement.

"Good morning, Richard, Detective. Would you like some breakfast?" Martha responded, coming to doorway, watching as they deposited their coats.

"No thanks, we're off to bed," he clasped Beckett's hand once again and started in the direction of the bedroom. She felt blush pooling on her cheeks.

"Castle," she whispered, tugging him to a stop.

"What? I didn't mean it like that. We've been hospitalised, we need bed rest. I'm not letting you out of my sight so you're coming to rest in my bed. Simple as that," he grinned.

"Dad, my hearing is actually quite good," Alexis moaned from the kitchen. "It certainly sounded that way to me! On that note, Grams and I are going out."

"Alexis, you don't have to do that," Kate groaned, swatting Castle on the arm. "Look what you've done, you're scaring your family from the house."

"Ours," he responded automatically with a bashful grin.

"Our," she admitted. "Now fix it."

"You don't have to leave on our account," he declared. "I promise I'll be on my best behaviour. Nothing untoward." Alexis appeared in the living room, and pulled on her coat. Martha mirrored her actions.

"Really, darling. We had plans," Martha smiled at her son. "If you just give us your credit card we'll be out the door and on our way," she teased with a wink. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Mother," he started as she waved him off with the brush of a hand, coming to his side and kissing his cheek and then Beckett's in farewell.

"I'll see you kids later, remember to get _some_ rest," she hinted suggestively.

"Gram," Alexis shuddered. "I think you're the one who needs to behave."

"How you ended up so mature I will never know," Martha sighed dramatically ushering her granddaughter from the room. They continued to debate the question of Alexis' maturity's origin as they made their way down the hall to the elevator. Beckett caught snatches of the conversation, something about aliens and CIA conspiracies. They were Castle's family alright. No doubt about it. She loved them all the more for it.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Okay, now that we have to house to ourselves I totally meant it like that," he chuckled, pulling her tightly into his chest.

"Huh?" Beckett said, still lost in the silence filling the gap that Martha and Alexis' voices had left, her thoughts on the amazing women in Castle's family. _Their _family.

"Ah, the innuendo kind of loses its fun if I have to spell it out. I can spell it out though, if you'd like," his hands were causing dangerous feelings in the pit of her stomach, it curled tightly with pure want. It didn't help that he pressed his hands under the thin film of her shirt and ran his fingertips across her back. She realised after a moment that he was literally spelling it out across her back. She tried to make sense of the movements, but the letters were lost on her, all she could feel was the growing arousal. She latched her mouth fiercely to his and it stilled the movement of his fingers. Spelling it out forgotten, living it suddenly all the more important. His hands tightened on her, drawing her closer deepening the kiss. They stayed like that for a few more seconds before impatience got the better of him, he lifted her off her feet and shuffled gracelessly towards his bedroom.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The next time Beckett woke she really did feel rested, which was somewhat ironic considering all the exercise she'd had over the past couple of hours. She snuggled back further into Castle's arms, a simple contentment to just be in the moment. Time passed, she wasn't sure how much and then he was stirring, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, random musings that meant nothing to anyone but her, like how cherries tasted better than they smelt and how the books were about to get so much more vivid now that he had reality to write from. She didn't have the eloquent words to respond to him so she just whispered the one that meant the most to the both of them –

"_Always_."

This time they both knew that it really would be. This was the beginning of always. This was what happiness looked like, what _living_ looked like. The future was sure. It would be them, together.

THE END

**Final AN****: Thank you so much to everyone who has read & reviewed this! I'm particularly grateful to my regular reviewers: White Pawn, BoneyCastle237, DocNerd89 & TheTravelBug. I honestly can't believe I managed to write a story this long in the first place, thus your encouragement is all the more appreciated. **

**To White Pawn: Seriously? Could you manage to overwhelm me anymore with praise (as well as a good dose of valid criticism & story ideas). I'm actually rather devastated that the end of this story means the end of your reviews. **

**On an unrelated note, if you're looking for something else to read, my dear friend TheTravelBug has a couple of great fics in the works :) **

**I will write more in the future – although probably not too much over the next month or two, life & all that jazz – so add me to author alerts if you'd like to keep up to date with that. **


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